biliary

American  

[bil-ee-er-ee, bil-yuh-ree] / ˈbɪl iˌɛr i, ˈbɪl yə ri /

adjective

1. Physiology.

   1. of bile.

   2. conveying bile.

      a biliary duct.

2. Archaic. bilious.

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biliary British  

/ ˈbɪlɪərɪ /

adjective

1. of or relating to bile, to the ducts that convey bile, or to the gall bladder

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Etymology

Origin of biliary

1725–35; perhaps < French biliaire; see bile, -aire, -ary

Example Sentences

The biotechnology company was testing a combination of its lead asset, tovecimig, and paclitaxel in patients with biliary tract cancer.

From Barron's • Apr. 27, 2026

When scientists studied women with such diseases, they often found fetal cells in the affected organs: the skin in scleroderma, the liver in biliary cirrhosis, the joints in rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 4, 2025

Notably, these include cancers that are linked to obesity including "colorectum, uterine corpus, gallbladder and other biliary, kidney and renal pelvis, and pancreas" cancers.

From Salon • Aug. 2, 2024

Diagnosed with biliary atresia, a bile ducts blockage, at eight weeks old, she now has end-stage liver failure.

From BBC • Feb. 23, 2024

This doctrine, to-day a commonplace of biology, was, thirty years ago, rank heresy, since it seemed to reduce the soul of man to the level of his biliary duct.

From Pioneers of Evolution from Thales to Huxley With an Intermediate Chapter on the Causes of Arrest of the Movement by Clodd, Edward