eccrine gland

noun

variants or eccrine sweat gland

: any of the rather small sweat glands that discharge an odorless watery fluid onto the surface of the skin, play an important role in thermoregulation, and are widely distributed across the body with the most dense concentrations on the palms, soles, and forehead compare apocrine gland

Examples of eccrine gland in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Your feet contain a high number of eccrine glands, which produce primarily odorless sweat. —Korin Miller, Health, 11 July 2024

The glands on your dog’s paws and its nose are called eccrine glands, and all mammals have these, too. —Bill Gifford, Men's Health, 12 June 2023

Most researchers agree with the premise that fur-loss and eccrine gland-gain coevolved for thermoregulation during human evolution. —Bridget Alex, Discover Magazine, 17 Jan. 2019

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1927, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

eccrine gland

noun

: any of the rather small sweat glands that produce a fluid secretion without removing cytoplasm from the secreting cells and that are restricted to the human skin

called also eccrine sweat gland