noun
pituitary
pih-TYOO-iht-ree
noun
1
A small gland at the base of the brain that produces hormones controlling growth, metabolism, and other glands.
"The pituitary gland releases the hormone that triggers a growth spurt in teenagers."
"Doctors ran tests to check whether her pituitary was producing enough thyroid-stimulating hormone."
adj
1
Relating to this gland.
"A pituitary tumor can throw the body's entire hormone balance off."
How to Use Pituitary
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe master gland at the base of the brain that tells other glands (thyroid, adrenal, ovaries/testes) how much hormone to make.
Common pairings
pituitary gland
pituitary tumor
pituitary hormone
Word Forms
pituitaries plural
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The _____ gland releases the hormone that triggers a growth spurt in teenagers.
Etymology
From Latin pituitarius, "mucous," because early anatomists wrongly believed the gland's job was to drain mucus to the nose.