Gland \Gland\, n. [F. glande, L. glans, glandis, acorn; akin to
Gr. ? for ?, and ? to cast, throw, the acorn being the
dropped fruit. Cf. Parable, n.]
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1. (Anat.)
(a) An organ for secreting something to be used in, or
eliminated from, the body; as, the sebaceous glands of
the skin; the salivary glands of the mouth.
(b) An organ or part which resembles a secreting, or true,
gland, as the ductless, lymphatic, pineal, and
pituitary glands, the functions of which are very
imperfectly known.
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Note: The true secreting glands are, in principle, narrow
pouches of the mucous membranes, or of the integument,
lined with a continuation of the epithelium, or of the
epidermis, the cells of which produce the secretion
from the blood. In the larger glands, the pouches are
tubular, greatly elongated, and coiled, as in the sweat
glands, or subdivided and branched, making compound and
racemose glands, such as the pancreas.
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2. (Bot.)
(a) A special organ of plants, usually minute and
globular, which often secretes some kind of resinous,
gummy, or aromatic product.
(b) Any very small prominence.
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3. (Steam Mach.) The movable part of a stuffing box by which
the packing is compressed; -- sometimes called a
follower. See Illust. of Stuffing box, under
Stuffing.
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4. (Mach.) The crosspiece of a bayonet clutch.
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