bile
[ bahyl ]
/ baɪl /
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noun
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.
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Compare black bile, yellow bile.
Origin of bile
1655–65; <French <Latin bīlis
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use bile in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for bile (1 of 2)
bile1
/ (baɪl) /
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
Word Origin for bile
C17: from French, from Latin bīlis, probably of Celtic origin; compare Welsh bustl bile
British Dictionary definitions for bile (2 of 2)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Scientific definitions for bile
bile
[ bīl ]
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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for bile
bile
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).
notes for bile
Bile is sometimes used figuratively to denote bitterness in general: “His writing was full of bile.”
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.