The word 肾上腺 is formed through a direct, logical assembly of concepts: 肾 (shèn) means "kidney", 上 (shàng) means "above" or "on top of", and 腺 (xiàn) means "gland". Therefore, the term is constructed by sequentially combining these ideas to denote the specific anatomical entity, the "gland on top of the kidney", which is the adrenal gland.