elaboration /ilab″ərāshən/ [L, elaborare, to work out] , 1. (in endocrinology) a process by which a gland synthesizes a complex substance from simpler substances and secretes it, usually under the stimulation of a tropic hormone from the pituitary gland. This process, regulated by a negative feedback system, which includes the hypothalamus, pituitary, and target gland, serves to maintain homeostasis in body function. 2. the act of providing more context, details, or information. −elaborate, adj.