parotid

adjective

pa·​rot·​id pə-ˈrä-təd How to pronounce parotid (audio)
: of or relating to the parotid gland

Examples of parotid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The warty amphibian can secrete a milky poison from the parotid glands behind its shoulders that can be fatal to wildlife. Timothy Bella, Washington Post, 20 Jan. 2023 The parotid glands, the largest of the three, are located in each cheek over the jaw in front of the ears. Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Nov. 2022 The parotid glands are located just behind the toad’s eyes. Zoe Sottile, CNN, 6 Nov. 2022 Bufo hunters catch the toads at night using flashlights—the toads freeze when confronted by a bright light—then milk the venom from the toad’s parotid glands, typically holding a mirror up to catch the spray. Alex Kuczynski, Town & Country, 20 Jan. 2022 In 1953, both Stewart and Gross published papers on these induced parotid tumors just months apart. Leila McNeill, Smithsonian, 17 June 2019 Eighty-five percent of salivary-gland tumors are parotid [i.e., in the gland were Yauch's tumor is located]. Newsweek, 14 Mar. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'parotid.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

New Latin parotid-, parotis parotid gland, from Latin, tumor near the ear, from Greek parōtid-, parōtis, from para- + ōt-, ous ear — more at ear

First Known Use

1684, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of parotid was in 1684

Dictionary Entries Near parotid

Cite this Entry

“Parotid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parotid. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

parotid

adjective
pa·​rot·​id pə-ˈrät-əd How to pronounce parotid (audio)
: of or relating to the parotid gland

Medical Definition

parotid

1 of 2 adjective
pa·​rot·​id pə-ˈrät-əd How to pronounce parotid (audio)
: of, relating to, being, produced by, or located near the parotid gland
parotid acinar cells

parotid

2 of 2 noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!