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Glite Dictionary
digestive gland

digestive gland

3.8
A gland that makes and releases juices into the stomach or gut to help break down food
  • noun
  • /dɪˈdʒɛstɪv ɡlænd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : glándula digestiva
  • The pancreas is an important digestive gland that releases enzymes into the small intestine for digestion.

Examples

  • The human liver is the largest digestive gland in the body.

  • Salivary glands are also considered major digestive glands because they secrete enzymes that begin the process of digestion.

  • Problems with a digestive gland can lead to various digestive disorders.

  • The digestive gland secretes enzymes that help break down food.

  • Many animals have a specialized digestive gland for processing their food.

  • Salivary glands are major digestive glands that secrete enzymes to aid in breaking down food in the mouth.

  • Many animals possess a specialized digestive gland that assists in efficiently processing their food.

Surface Forms

digestive gland singular
digestive glands plural

Morphology

digestive + gland

The meaning 'a gland that produces and releases substances into the digestive tract' is compositionally derived from 'digestive' (relating to digestion) + 'gland' (an organ that releases fluids). This adjective + noun combination follows a straightforward, cross-linguistic compositional pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

The compound digestive gland gives a simple picture: a gland is a small organ that makes and sends out juices, and digestive shows these juices help to 'digest' food. So it means a gland that produces and releases liquids to help digestion.