hypophysis
noun
Simple meaning
The master gland of the endocrine system.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
hypohfisisSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
haɪpoʊˈfɪsɪs
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
anatomy
The master gland of the endocrine system; located at the base of the brain
botany
The top cell of the suspensor in a dicot embryo, which will differentiate to form part of the root cap.
anatomy
The pituitary gland.
Word at a Glance
- Typical Use
- Rare
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: The master gland of the endocrine system; located at the base of the brain
Used this way, hypophysis is a specialist word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. This is a clinical use: it belongs to medical description, where it is factual rather than emotive.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Specialist/technical
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Specialized
- Connotation
- Clinical and technical
- Usage feel
- Technical and specialized
Where it naturally appears
- Medicine/healthcare
- Science
- Technical/specialist writing
Usage note
In general conversation this sense usually needs explaining — outside its field, people reach for a plainer word.
Nearby words
- pituitary body , rarer, so it draws attention
- pituitary gland , a specialist term, precise but narrower
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Tap the highlighted word to open its own entry.
Similar Words, What’s the Difference?
Close in meaning, but not always interchangeable.
The master gland of the endocrine system.
The controlling gland of the endocrine system.
An endocrine gland, about the size of a pea, that sits in a small, bony cavity at the base of the brain whose….
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: master gland of the endocrine system
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