bile duct

American  

noun

Anatomy.

1. a large duct that transports bile from the liver to the duodenum, having in humans and many other vertebrates a side branch to a gallbladder for bile storage.

---

bile duct Scientific  

1. Any of the passages that carry bile from the liver or gallbladder to the duodenum.

---

Etymology

Origin of bile duct

First recorded in 1765–75

Example Sentences

Some cases involved vanishing bile duct syndrome, a liver condition characterized by the progressive destruction of bile ducts in the liver, the agency said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

CA19-9 levels can rise in non-cancerous conditions like pancreatitis or bile duct obstruction, and some people do not produce the marker at all due to genetic differences.

From Science Daily • Mar. 23, 2026

“While recovering from the transplant, he contracted a bile duct infection, which led to hemodialysis to filter out the toxins in his body.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 21, 2025

She had half her pancreas, bile duct and gall bladder removed, along with part of her gut and stomach.

From BBC • Feb. 13, 2025

Cholelithiasis, that is, stone in the bile duct, may not only cause severe pain, but may lead to rupture of the duct and a rapidly fatal termination.

From Essays In Pastoral Medicine by ?Malley, Austin