cod-liver oil

American

[kod-liv-er] / ˈkɒdˌlɪv ər /

noun

a pale-yellow, fixed oil, extracted from the liver of the common cod or of allied species, used in medicine chiefly as a source of vitamins A and D.

cod-liver oil British

noun

an oil extracted from the livers of cod and related fish, rich in vitamins A and D and used to treat deficiency of these vitamins

"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

Etymology

Origin of cod-liver oil

First recorded in 1605–15

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

cod-liver oil

Gabito came into the world lathered in cod-liver oil, his parents claimed, with two brains and the memory of an elephant.

From New York Times ● Apr. 7, 2023

Piper had put on clothes she had soaked for a week in cod-liver oil, milk and eggs and walked into the New York City Subway at rush hour.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 12, 2019

Fulmar has a very strong, fatty flavor, similar to that of cod-liver oil.

From The New Yorker ● Jun. 11, 2018

It probably won’t surprise you, and I know many of you aren’t going to like it, but it would be better for us than a dose of cod-liver oil.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 7, 2014

She didn’t mention cod-liver oil, but she did say, “Do you feel all right, Callie? Your color’s high. Alfred, do you think we should send for Dr. Walker?”

From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023