a thyroid nodule

Meanings

1. 1nouncountablemedical

   A small lump or growth that forms in the thyroid gland in the neck.

   Grammar: Countable: use 'a thyroid nodule' for one and 'thyroid nodules' for more than one.

   Patterns

   • have a thyroid nodule
   • remove a thyroid nodule

   The scan showed a thyroid nodule on the left side of her neck.

   Many thyroid nodules cause no symptoms at all.

   Doctors often find a thyroid nodule during a routine check.

2. 2nouncountablemedical

   This kind of lump considered as a condition that may need testing or treatment.

   Grammar: Often used in the plural when talking about the condition in general.

   Patterns

   • be diagnosed with a thyroid nodule
   • treat thyroid nodules

   He was diagnosed with a thyroid nodule after blood tests.

   Not all thyroid nodules need surgery; some are simply monitored.

Word forms

Common combinations

a benign thyroid nodule

The biopsy showed a benign thyroid nodule.

a thyroid nodule biopsy

She had a thyroid nodule biopsy last week.

a solitary thyroid nodule

A solitary thyroid nodule is a single lump in the gland.

monitor a thyroid nodule

The doctor will monitor the thyroid nodule with yearly scans.

Synonyms and how they differ

thyroid lump

A plainer, less technical way to say the same thing in everyday speech.

goiter

This means an enlarged thyroid gland, which may or may not contain nodules; it is not the same as a single lump.

Word family

thyroid noun

The gland in the neck that controls how the body uses energy.

nodular adjective

Having small lumps or nodes, as in 'nodular tissue'.

Commonly confused: a thyroid nodule or node?

Practice

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