bile

American  

[bahyl] / baɪl /

noun

• biles
  plural

1. Physiology. a bitter, alkaline, yellow or greenish liquid, secreted by the liver, that aids in absorption and digestion, especially of fats.

2. ill temper; peevishness.

3. Old Physiology. either of two humors associated with anger and gloominess.

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bile ¹ British  

/ baɪl /

noun

1. 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

2. irritability or peevishness

3. archaic either of two bodily humours, one of which ( black bile ) was thought to cause melancholy and the other ( yellow bile ) anger

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bile ² British  

/ bəɪl /

verb

1. a Scot word for boil 1

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bile Scientific  

/ bīl /

1. 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.

2. ◆ Bile salts help in the emulsification, digestion, and absorption of fats.

3. ◆ Bile pigments are waste products formed by the breakdown of hemoglobin from old red blood cells.

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bile Cultural  

1. A bitter fluid produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder. Bile is discharged into the small intestine when needed to aid in the digestion of fats (see digestive system).

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Discover More

Bile is sometimes used figuratively to denote bitterness in general: “His writing was full of bile.”

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• biles
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bile biles

South Korea banned the breeding and possession of the bears last year, along with the extraction of bile from their gallbladders.

From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026

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

So we get to witness the arguments, which unfortunately for the responsible parties—the “org” that attracts bile online and off—seem to portend the struggles to come.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026

These include pathways involving bile acids, NAD-related pathways, gut bacterial metabolites, oxidative stress markers and certain steroids.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 5, 2026

Dr. Gully had diagnosed Annie with a bilious fever, which meant that along with a fever and stomach upset, she was vomiting bile.

From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman

“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

The consequence was, that these disorders ceased: the biles too which had afflicted the men, were not observed beyond the Sioux river.

From History of the Expedition under the Command of Captains Lewis and Clark, Vol. I. To the Sources of the Missouri, Thence Across the Rocky Mountains and Down the River Columbia to the Pacific Ocean. Performed During the Years 1804-5-6. by Paul Allen

Biles are sed tew be helthy, and i guess they am, for i hav seen sum helthy old biles, az big az a hornet’s nest, and az full ov stings.

From The Complete Works of Josh Billings by Henry W. Shaw

For a month past the party have been troubled with biles, and occasionally with the dysentery.

From History of the Expedition under the Command of Captains Lewis and Clark, Vol. I. To the Sources of the Missouri, Thence Across the Rocky Mountains and Down the River Columbia to the Pacific Ocean. Performed During the Years 1804-5-6. by Paul Allen

Related Words

• acrimony
• animosity
• animus
• antagonism
• bad blood
• bitterness
• enmity
• grudge
• harshness
• hatred
• hostility
• ill will
• malice
• resentment
• venom