bile
Americannoun
-
biles
plural
-
Physiology. a bitter, alkaline, yellow or greenish liquid, secreted by the liver, that aids in absorption and digestion, especially of fats.
-
ill temper; peevishness.
-
Old Physiology. either of two humors associated with anger and gloominess.
noun
-
a bitter greenish to golden brown alkaline fluid secreted by the liver and stored in the gall bladder. It is discharged during digestion into the duodenum, where it aids the emulsification and absorption of fats
-
irritability or peevishness
-
archaic either of two bodily humours, one of which ( black bile ) was thought to cause melancholy and the other ( yellow bile ) anger
verb
-
A bitter, alkaline, brownish-yellow or greenish-yellow fluid that is secreted by the liver, concentrated and stored in the gallbladder, and discharged into the duodenum of the small intestine. It helps in the digestion of fats and the neutralization of acids, such as the hydrochloric acid secreted by the stomach. Bile consists of salts, acids, cholesterol, lipids, pigments, and water.
-
◆ Bile salts help in the emulsification, digestion, and absorption of fats.
-
◆ Bile pigments are waste products formed by the breakdown of hemoglobin from old red blood cells.
Discover More
Bile is sometimes used figuratively to denote bitterness in general: “His writing was full of bile.”
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of bile
First recorded in 1655–65; from French, from Latin bīlis; of disputed origin; compare Breton bestl, Medieval Cornish bystel, Welsh bustl
Explanation
In medicine, bile is a fluid secreted by the liver and used to help breakdown fats. Because it used to be associated with anger, feeling your bile rise is the same as feeling mounting anger. How did bile get linked to anger? Pre-modern doctors believed there were four basic substances to the human body, called humours, one of which was yellow bile that controlled anger. It doesn't, but when you feel angry, you'll still hear that you have to swallow your bile.
Vocabulary lists containing bile
Human Anatomy and Physiology - Introductory
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Life As We Knew It
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Human Anatomy and Physiology - High School
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Towle's family announced her death, from complications related to bile duct cancer that had spread to other parts of her body, on her social media accounts on Thursday.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
The researchers found that people who reached 100 years of age had unusually high levels of certain primary and secondary bile acids along with preserved levels of several steroids.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 5, 2026
The bears had been kept at one of South Korea's last bear bile farms – sites which have now been banned in the country.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
The contest, in a district stretching from lower Manhattan into brownstone Brooklyn, has featured plenty of bile about Trump, promises of a more affordable city and picayune local disputes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026
I wanted to tell him I was sorry, but suddenly I was salivating, the back of my throat tasting bile.
From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini
“Put a finger down if simone biles just ended you 🖐🏼,” Lee wrote, referring to a popular TikTok trend.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2024
Alexander Calder's vivid mo biles were meant to jiggle and gyrate under the leaves, George Rickey's feathery kinetics to stir in the breeze.
From Time Magazine Archive
I thought 49 in biles. i wouldn’t in biles.
From The Complete Works of Josh Billings by Henry W. Shaw
"She biles over a right smart on you, Marthy, I should say," remarked the hostess.
From Sight to the Blind by Lucy Furman
I got mo' 'ticular and pray mo' often, and in six weeks my biles had done all gone.
From Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves South Carolina Narratives, Part 1 by Work Projects Administration
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
