hypophysis

English

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *upó

Ancient Greek ὑπό (hupó)

Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH-

Proto-Indo-European *-yéti

Proto-Indo-European *bʰuHyéti

Ancient Greek φῠ́ω (phŭ́ō)

Proto-Indo-European *-tis

Proto-Hellenic *-tis

Ancient Greek -τῐς (-tĭs)

Ancient Greek -σῐς (-sĭs)

Ancient Greek φύσις (phúsis)

Ancient Greek ὑπόφυσις (hupóphusis)lbor.

English hypophysis

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek ὑπόφυσις (hupóphusis, literally “attachment underneath”). By surface analysis, hypo- + -physis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /haɪˈpɒ.fɪ.sɪs/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Noun

hypophysis (plural hypophyses)

2. (anatomy) The pituitary gland.
   • 1915, Wilhelm Falta, translated by Milton Kayton Meyers, The Ductless Glandular Diseases‎^[1], P. Blakiston's Son & Co., →OCLC, page 231:

     CHAPTER VI / THE DISEASES OF THE HYPOPHYSIS [PITUITARY GLAND]

4. (botany) The top cell of the suspensor in a dicot embryo, which will differentiate to form part of the root cap.
   • 1995, Trevor A. Thorpe, In Vitro Embryogenesis in Plants, Springer, →ISBN, page 85:

     All the cells of the suspensor, except one, are eventually crushed and obliterated by the growing embryo; this fortunate cell known as the hypophysis is the one in immediate contact with the embryo and plays an important role in the formation of the root apex.

Derived terms

• adenohypophysis
• antehypophysis
• hypophyseal
• hypophysectomy
• hypophysial
• hypophysitis
• neurohypophysis
• posthypophysis

Translations

endocrine gland of the brain — see pituitary gland

Further reading

• “hypophysis”, in Merriam-Webster.com Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
• “hypophysis”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.