eccrine

[ ek-rin, -rahyn, -reen ]

adjective

, Physiology.

1. of or relating to certain sweat glands, distributed over the entire body, that secrete a type of sweat important for regulating body heat ( apocrine ).
2. of or relating to secretions of these glands:

   eccrine sweat.

3. exocrine ( def ).

eccrine

/ ˈɛkrɪn /

adjective

1. of or denoting glands that secrete externally, esp the numerous sweat glands on the human body Compare apocrine

Word History and Origins

Origin of eccrine¹

First recorded in 1925–30; from Greek ekkrī́nein “to secrete,” formed as if with -ine ¹( def ); eccrinology ( def ), endocrine ( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of eccrine¹

from Greek ekkrinein to secrete, from ek- ec- + krinein to separate

Example Sentences

Aluminum is often used for this, plugging up perspiration-producing glands called eccrine and apocrine glands, the latter of which are concentrated in the hairy parts of the body.

From National Geographic

That’s because there are two types of sweat glands present there: eccrine glands, which sweat out the salty watery stuff discussed above, and apocrine glands, which release a viscous waxy substance.

From Washington Post

Our eccrine glands, which Everts describes as “tiny, elongated tubas embedded in skin” with “extensive coiled piping” at the base, release fluid that evaporates off our hot skin.

From New York Times

A recent study by Daniel Aldea of the University of Pennsylvania and his colleagues found that repeated mutations of a gene called Engrailed 1 may have led to this abundance of eccrine sweat glands.

From Scientific American

Apocrine secretions are milkier than eccrine secretions and are friendlier to bacterial growth.

From Los Angeles Times