bilirubin

[ bil-uh-roo-bin, bil-uh-roo-bin ]

/ ˈbɪl əˌru bɪn, ˌbɪl əˈru bɪn /

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noun Biochemistry.

a reddish bile pigment, C33H36O6N4, resulting from the degradation of heme by reticuloendothelial cells in the liver: a high level in the blood produces the yellow skin symptomatic of jaundice.

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Origin of bilirubin

<German Bilirubin (1864), equivalent to Latin bīli(s) bile + rub(er) red + German -in-in²

Words nearby bilirubin

bilineate, bilingual, bilingual education, bilingualism, bilious, bilirubin, biliteral, biliterate, bilith, biliverdin, bilk

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use bilirubin in a sentence

When poop moves too quickly through your body, the bilirubin in the bile does not have enough time to be broken down to form stercobilin, which would make it browner.
Why Is My Poop Brown?|LGBTQ-Editor|December 13, 2021|No Straight News
In catarrhal conditions of the small intestine bilirubin may be carried through unchanged.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
The stools of infants are yellow, owing partly to their milk diet and partly to the presence of unchanged bilirubin.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
It may assume a greenish hue after standing, owing to oxidation of bilirubin into biliverdin.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd

The modern view of hmatogenous jaundice had its origin in the supposed discovery of the identity of hmatoidin with bilirubin.
A System of Practical Medicine By American Authors, Vol. II|Various
The union of bilirubin and lime salts illustrates the same principle.
A System of Practical Medicine By American Authors, Vol. II|Various

British Dictionary definitions for bilirubin

bilirubin

/ (ˌbɪlɪˈruːbɪn, ˌbaɪ-) /

noun

an orange-yellow pigment in the bile formed as a breakdown product of haemoglobin. Excess amounts in the blood produce the yellow appearance associated with jaundice. Formula: C 32 H 36 O 6 N 4

Word Origin for bilirubin

C19: from bile 1 + Latin ruber red + -in

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for bilirubin

bilirubin

[ bĭl′ĭ-rōō′bĭn ]

A reddish-yellow pigment that is a constituent of bile and gives it its color. Bilirubin is a porphyrin derived from the degradation of heme. It is often a constituent of gallstones, and also causes the skin discoloration seen in jaundice. Chemical formula: C33H36N4O6.