islets of Langerhans

noun

Distinctive regions of tissue in the pancreas, which contain its endocrine cells.

Similar
islands of Langerhansisles of Langerhans
OriginFrench îlots de Langerhans →
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Meanings

nounislets of Langerhans pl (normally plural, singular islet of Langerhans)

singular islet of Langerhans

  1. pluralplural normallyanatomyDistinctive regions of tissue in the pancreas, which contain its endocrine cells.

    Edward Sharpey-Schäfer determined that the substance necessary for carbohydrate metabolism was produced in the Islets of Langerhans, naming this new substance ‘insuline’ after the Latin insula (island).

    1997, Roy Porter, The Greatest Benefit to Mankind, Folio Society, published 2016, page 545

Synonyms & antonyms

nouncell clusters in the pancreas that form the endocrine part of that organ; secrete insulin and other hormones

Similar
islands of Langerhansisles of Langerhans
Broader
endocrine glandendocrineductless gland

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Frenchîlots de Langerhans
  2. Englishislets of Langerhans

Translating French îlots de Langerhans; named after Paul Langerhans, the German anatomist who discovered these regions in the pancreas.

More words from French

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic جُزَيْرَاتُ لَنْكَرْهَنْسَ
  • جُزَيْرَاتُ لَنْكَرْهَنْسَ (juzayrātu lankarhansa)regions in the pancreas
Chinese Mandarin 胰島 /胰岛
  • 胰島 /胰岛 (yídǎo)regions in the pancreas
French îlots de Langerhans
  • îlots de Langerhansregions in the pancreas
German Langerhans-Inseln
  • Langerhans-Inselnregions in the pancreas
Hungarian Langerhans-szigetek
  • Langerhans-szigetekregions in the pancreas
Irish insíní Langerhans
  • insíní Langerhansregions in the pancreas
Japanese ランゲルハンス島, 膵島
  • ランゲルハンス島 (rangeruhansutō)regions in the pancreas
  • 膵島 (suitō)regions in the pancreas
Polish wysepki Langerhansa
  • wysepki Langerhansaregions in the pancreas
Romanian insulele lui Langerhans
  • insulele lui Langerhansregions in the pancreas
Turkish Langerhans adacıkları
  • Langerhans adacıklarıregions in the pancreas
Welsh ynysoedd Langerhans
  • ynysoedd Langerhansregions in the pancreas
Cite this entry
APA

islets of Langerhans. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/islets%20of%20Langerhans

MLA

“islets of Langerhans.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/islets%20of%20Langerhans. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “islets of Langerhans,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/islets%20of%20Langerhans.

Source: islets of Langerhans on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.