Meanings
- not comparableanatomyOf or pertaining to certain exocrine glands that secrete without major damage to the secretory cells.
The planum rostrale of pigs has tactile (sinus) hairs distributed over the surface and numerous large merocrine sweat glands.
2013, Nancy A. Monteiro-Riviere, “16: Integument”, in Jo Ann Eurell, Brian L. Frappier, editors, Dellmann's Textbook of Veterinary Histology, 6th edition, page 3382 more examples
Merocrine cells have several full secretion cycles — the merocrine secretion cell does not die when it secretes into the lumen of the gland.
1982, Vladimir Evgenʹevich Sokolov, Mammal Skin, University of California Press, page 20Secretions from glands are produced by merocrine, apocrine and holocrine modes of secretion (Fig. 3.4). In merocrine secretion, membrane bound secretory vesicles are formed and accumulate below the free surface of the cell.[…]There is no loss of cytoplasm in merocrine secretion.
2011, S. M. Kisia, Vertebrates: Structures and Functions, page 53Synonyms: eccrine
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveOf or pertaining to certain exocrine glands that secrete without major damage to the secretory cells.
Origin
- Ancient Greekκρῑ́νω“to separate”
- Englishmerocrine
From mero- (“partial”) + Ancient Greek κρῑ́νω (krī́nō, “to separate”).
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
merocrine. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/merocrine
“merocrine.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/merocrine. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “merocrine,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/merocrine.
Source: merocrine on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.