gallbladder

American  

[gawl-blad-er] / ˈgɔlˌblæd ər /

Or gall bladder

noun

Anatomy.

1. a pear-shaped, muscular sac attached to the undersurface of the right lobe of the liver, in which bile is stored and concentrated.

---

gallbladder Scientific  

/ gôl′blăd′ər /

1. A small, pear-shaped muscular sac in most vertebrates in which bile is stored. The gallbladder is located beneath the liver and secretes bile into the duodenum of the small intestine.

---

gallbladder Cultural  

1. A small, muscular sac located under the liver. Bile is stored in the gallbladder until it is needed by the small intestine for digestion. (See digestive system.)

---

Etymology

Origin of gallbladder

First recorded in 1670–80; gall ¹ + bladder

Explanation

Your gallbladder is an organ in your body that helps you digest fat. The gallbladder is situated just underneath the liver, on the right side of the body. Your gallbladder aids in digestion by storing the bile your liver produces and releasing it into your small intestine every time you eat food. Bile is a liquid that helps break down the fat you eat. When someone has a problem with their gallbladder (like a tendency to get painful, hardened masses called gallstones), they sometimes have surgery to remove the organ. You can live without a gallbladder, although it's harder to digest fatty food without one.

Example Sentences

Gallbladder cancer is rare, and not every doctor knows the signs.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 27, 2022

Disaster comes quickly: “Kidney stent. Pulmonary embolism. Adenocarcinoma. Venous thrombosis. Gastrointestinal consultant. Gallbladder ultrasound. Echocardiogram. CT brain scan. MRI. fMRI. Radiation, chemotherapy, immunology. Transition to hospice care.”

From New York Times • Aug. 3, 2021

Figure 23.27 Gallbladder The gallbladder stores and concentrates bile, and releases it into the two-way cystic duct when it is needed by the small intestine.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

Gallbladder surgery was also more dangerous: an 11 percent mortality risk for nursing home residents, versus 3 percent in elders who weren’t institutionalized.

From New York Times • Jan. 25, 2012

Gallbladder surgery in March revived questions about his health, but he has returned to a full schedule.

From Reuters • Jan. 2, 2011