sweat gland

noun

Updated on: 18 Apr 2018

Definition of sweat gland

: a simple tubular gland of the skin that excretes perspiration, is widely distributed in nearly all parts of the human skin, and consists typically of an epithelial tube extending spirally from a minute pore on the surface of the skin into the dermis or subcutaneous tissues where it ends in a convoluted tuft

See sweat gland defined for kids

Recent Examples of sweat gland from the Web

Electrodes are placed on the subject’s hands to record how well the skin conducts electricity, which depends on the state of sweat glands and involuntarily changes with psychological arousal.

— meeri kim, Washington Post, "This strange syndrome causes people to think their loved ones have been replaced by identical impostors," 7 Apr. 2018
Some patients even resort to surgery to remove the overactive sweat glands in question, but all of these treatments come with side effects, Dr. Friedman notes.

— sarah klein, Health.com, "Why This ‘Southern Charm’ Star Is Opening Up About How Much She Sweats," 19 Feb. 2018
Sergiel's team examined a pair of brown bears and determined that the animals' paws contain sweat glands, suggesting that the prints leave behind a scent.

— jason g. goldman, Scientific American, "Mysterious Bear Dance Explained," 1 July 2017
Even more surprising, that bottom layer developed hair follicles and sweat glands, Koehler said.

— shari rudavsky, Indianapolis Star, "IU research may lead to solution to hairy problem for patients with burn injuries," 8 Jan. 2018
The good news: Lips don't have sweat glands, so rocking red lipstick during a workout is chic and safe for your skin.

— leah prinzivalli, SELF, "The Best Workouts of 2017, According to Celebs," 26 Dec. 2017
These salts form a plug inside sweat glands, which inherently slows perspiration.

— sarah kinonen, Allure, "The Deodorant Trick That Makes You Smell Fresh All Day," 31 Aug. 2017
And bleedings from areas without sweat glands have been reported, too.

— josh hafner, USA TODAY, "Sweating blood: Young woman's rare condition mystifies doctors in Italy," 24 Oct. 2017
By blocking the neurotransmitter, acetylcholine, that makes your sweat glands turn on and do their jobs.

— donna freydkin, Allure, "Folks Are Getting Botox Injections to Preserve Their Blowouts," 16 Oct. 2017

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

First Known Use of sweat gland

1845

in the meaning defined above

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SWEAT GLAND Defined for Kids

sweat gland

noun

Definition of sweat gland for Students

: a small gland of the skin that gives off perspiration

Medical Dictionary

sweat gland

noun

medical Definition of sweat gland

: a simple tubular gland of the skin that secretes perspiration, in humans is widely distributed in nearly all parts of the skin, and consists typically of an epithelial tube extending spirally from a minute pore on the surface of the skin into the dermis or subcutaneous tissues where it ends in a convoluted tuft — called also sudoriferous gland, sudoriparous gland