gallstone

American  

[gawl-stohn] / ˈgɔlˌstoʊn /

noun

• gallstones
  plural

1. an abnormal stonelike mass, usually of cholesterol, formed in the gallbladder or bile passages.

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gallstone British  

/ ˈɡɔːlˌstəʊn /

noun

1. Also called: bilestone.  pathol a small hard concretion of cholesterol, bile pigments, and lime salts, formed in the gall bladder or its ducts

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gallstone Scientific  

/ gôl′stōn′ /

1. A small, hard, abnormal mass composed chiefly of cholesterol, calcium salts, and bile pigments, formed in the gallbladder or in a bile duct. The presence of gallstones can lead to painful obstruction or infection and is sometimes treated with cholecystectomy.

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gallstone Cultural  

1. A hard, pebblelike material deposited in the gallbladder or bile ducts by the process of chemical precipitation. Gallstones can cause considerable pain and can even obstruct the flow of bile from the gallbladder. On some occasions, the entire gallbladder must be removed by surgery.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• gallstones
  plural

Etymology

Origin of gallstone

First recorded in 1750–60; gall ¹ + stone

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

gallstone gallstones

Rarer side effects include acute gallstone disease and pancreatitis, and the NHS warns that there is also a risk of hypoglycaemia, which happens when your blood sugar level drops too low.

From BBC ● Mar. 8, 2025

By morning, the man was feeling better — the jammed gallstone must have gotten loose and moved on.

From New York Times ● May 16, 2023

He was asked whether to remove a gallstone, if it was okay to begin chemotherapy, and whether this was a good time for a root canal.

From Washington Post ● Oct. 26, 2022

He had to have a gallstone removed, for which his doctors had given him anesthesia—a risky decision for someone with dementia—and he never quite recovered.

From Slate ● May 4, 2021

Certain cases of gallstone attacks in women have been said to have been traced to tight lacing, which interfered with the normal flow of the bile.

From Dietetics for Nurses by Fairfax T. Proudfit

Doctors at a Los Angeles hospital were able to rule out gallstones, and on Tuesday, a representative for the “Goonies” star told The Times that they cracked the case, and Feldman is on the mend.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026

Because the pearls are denser than surrounding tissue and resemble small stones, they can sometimes complicate diagnosis by mimicking kidney or gallstones.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 1, 2026

"Anecdotally, we are seeing more patients presenting with gallstones," Hewes said.

From BBC ● Jan. 29, 2026

Cases include electrocution, drowning, overdose, scurvy, sickle cell anemia, a nail in the chest, a fastball in the eye and gallstones, with all the personal drama one expects from a hospital show.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 4, 2025

His liver was swollen and red and did not look healthy, but they could not find any sign of gallstones.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston