gallbladder

American  

[gawl-blad-er] / ˈgɔlˌblæd ər /

Or gall bladder

noun

Anatomy.

• gallbladders
  plural

1. a pear-shaped, muscular sac attached to the undersurface of the right lobe of the liver, in which bile is stored and concentrated.

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gallbladder Scientific  

/ gôl′blăd′ər /

1. A small, pear-shaped muscular sac in most vertebrates in which bile is stored. The gallbladder is located beneath the liver and secretes bile into the duodenum of the small intestine.

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gallbladder Cultural  

1. A small, muscular sac located under the liver. Bile is stored in the gallbladder until it is needed by the small intestine for digestion. (See digestive system.)

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• gallbladders
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of gallbladder

First recorded in 1670–80; gall ¹ + bladder

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Explanation

Your gallbladder is an organ in your body that helps you digest fat. The gallbladder is situated just underneath the liver, on the right side of the body. Your gallbladder aids in digestion by storing the bile your liver produces and releasing it into your small intestine every time you eat food. Bile is a liquid that helps break down the fat you eat. When someone has a problem with their gallbladder (like a tendency to get painful, hardened masses called gallstones), they sometimes have surgery to remove the organ. You can live without a gallbladder, although it's harder to digest fatty food without one.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

gallbladder gallbladders

At the war’s end, Mignon escaped to a displaced-persons camp in Bavaria, Germany, where she nearly died of an infected gallbladder and typhus.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

This is low complex surgery which can be planned, for example the removal of a gallbladder.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

I recently spent three days in the hospital to have my gallbladder removed.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 24, 2026

Earlier studies have shown that low oxygen levels can alter bile acids, substances produced by the liver, stored in the gallbladder, and released into the intestines to help digest fats.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 9, 2026

I accidentally broke a gallbladder, spilling a thin yellow bile that I then had to carefully rinse off the carcass.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan

South Korea banned the breeding and possession of the bears last year, along with the extraction of bile from their gallbladders.

From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026

Examples include procedures to replace broken hips, improve blood flow in the heart, excise cancer from the colon, remove gallbladders, fix leaky heart valves, and repair hernias, among many more.

From Salon ● Nov. 28, 2022

Consumers reported gastrointestinal illnesses and abnormal functions of their livers, bile ducts, and/or gallbladders, according to the FDA.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 28, 2022

He said 26 people have had their gallbladders removed and eight had liver biopsies.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2022

We were splashing around, shivering and laughing, and Gran ran to the shore waving her mighty arms, warning us we were doing irreparable harm to our gallbladders.

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

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