Meaning & use
pancreas
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountablemedicalbiology
A gland behind the stomach that makes digestive juices and hormones such as insulin.
Grammar: Countable: one organ is a pancreas, and the plural is pancreases (or pancreata in medical writing).
Patterns
- the pancreas produces insulin
- cancer of the pancreas
- a damaged pancreas
The pancreas releases enzymes that help break down fats and proteins.
When the pancreas stops making enough insulin, blood sugar levels can rise.
Word forms
| plural | pancreases |
|---|---|
| plural (technical) | pancreata |
Common combinations
- pancreatic cancer
- Pancreatic cancer is often hard to detect in its early stages.
- the pancreas produces insulin
- The pancreas produces insulin to control blood sugar.
- inflammation of the pancreas
- Severe pain led doctors to check for inflammation of the pancreas.
- a transplant of the pancreas
- In rare cases, a transplant of the pancreas may be recommended.
Word family
- pancreatic adjective
- Relating to the pancreas, as in pancreatic disease.
- pancreatectomy noun
- A surgical operation to remove the pancreas.
- pancreatitis noun
- Painful inflammation of the pancreas.
Commonly confused: pancreas or prostate?
pancreas vs prostate
The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system, not the organ that makes insulin.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'pancreas' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The pancreas makes insulin and enzymes, so option 1 is right. The heart pumps blood, the bladder stores urine, and the brain and nerves form the nervous system.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pancreas”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.