pancreas

noun pan·cre·as \ ˈpaŋ-krē-əs , ˈpan- \

|Updated on: 10 Aug 2018

Definition of pancreas

: a large lobulated gland of vertebrates that secretes digestive enzymes and the hormones insulin and glucagon

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pancreatic

play \ˌpaŋ-krē-ˈa-tik, ˌpan-\ adjective

See pancreas defined for English-language learners

See pancreas defined for kids

Recent Examples of pancreas from the Web

Type 1 diabetes more quickly damages the pancreas and is not linked with lifestyle factors.

— NBC News, "Cheap blood pressure drug might slow diabetes," 9 July 2018
In 2014, Levine reported that injuring the pancreas of diabetic mice caused alpha islet cells to spontaneously convert to insulin-making beta cells.

— bradley j. fikes, sandiegouniontribune.com, "New insulin-making cells can be made in the body, study suggests," 14 June 2018
His lab at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York had just received feedback on a new paper about how genes get turned on and off when healthy pancreas cells develop into tumors.

— megan molteni, WIRED, "This Startup Wants to Be AirBnb for Gene Sequencers," 8 May 2018
Little Miral, Al Khudhur's 2-year-old daughter, was at St. Luke's, being treated for stab wounds to the pancreas and just above her heart, Lafta said.

— maria l. la ganga and sven berg, idahostatesman, "A speeding ambulance. Asking how a toddler died. 2 boys recall Boise's mass stabbing," 2 July 2018
Choanoflagellates have genes for tyrosine kinases, enzymes that, in complex animals, help control the functions of specialized cells, such as insulin secretion in the pancreas.

— elizabeth pennisi, Science | AAAS, "The momentous transition to multicellular life may not have been so hard after all," 28 June 2018
In contrast, tumors placed in the pancreas caused dramatic decreases in fat tissue.

— justin chen, STAT, "Muscle and fat loss may offer clues to pancreatic cancer’s deadly ways," 20 June 2018
An autoimmune disorder, T1D arises when the immune system lays siege to the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.

— joshua tompkins, Los Angeles Magazine, "Could a Vaccine Be the End of Type 1 Diabetes?," 2 Apr. 2018
Normally, your pancreas produces the insulin required to process the sugar (glucose) in your food so that it can be stored in your liver, muscles, and fat tissue.

— sarah jacoby, SELF, "The Science on Weight and Health," 26 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pancreas.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of pancreas

New Latin, from Greek pankreas sweetbread, from pan- + kreas flesh, meat — more at raw

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1578

in the meaning defined above

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PANCREAS Defined for English Language Learners

pancreas

noun

Definition of pancreas for English Language Learners

: a large gland of the body that is near the stomach and that produces insulin and other substances that help the body digest food

PANCREAS Defined for Kids

pancreas

noun pan·cre·as \ ˈpaŋ-krē-əs \

Definition of pancreas for Students

: a large gland near the stomach that produces insulin and a fluid ( pancreatic juice ) with enzymes that aid digestion

Medical Dictionary

pancreas

noun pan·cre·as \ ˈpaŋ-krē-əs, ˈpan- \

medical Definition of pancreas

plural pancreases also pancreata play \pan-ˈkrē-ət-ə\

: a large lobulated gland that in humans lies in front of the upper lumbar vertebrae and behind the stomach and is somewhat hammer-shaped and firmly attached anteriorly to the curve of the duodenum with which it communicates through one or more pancreatic ducts and that consists of (1) tubular acini secreting digestive enzymes which pass to the intestine and function in the breakdown of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates; (2) modified acinar cells that form islets of Langerhans between the tubules and secrete the hormones insulin and glucagon; and (3) a firm connective-tissue capsule that extends supportive strands into the organ