gallstone

American  

[gawl-stohn] / ˈgɔlˌstoʊn /

noun

• gallstones
  plural

1. an abnormal stonelike mass, usually of cholesterol, formed in the gallbladder or bile passages.

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gallstone British  

/ ˈɡɔːlˌstəʊn /

noun

1. Also called: bilestone.  pathol a small hard concretion of cholesterol, bile pigments, and lime salts, formed in the gall bladder or its ducts

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gallstone Scientific  

/ gôl′stōn′ /

1. A small, hard, abnormal mass composed chiefly of cholesterol, calcium salts, and bile pigments, formed in the gallbladder or in a bile duct. The presence of gallstones can lead to painful obstruction or infection and is sometimes treated with cholecystectomy.

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gallstone Cultural  

1. A hard, pebblelike material deposited in the gallbladder or bile ducts by the process of chemical precipitation. Gallstones can cause considerable pain and can even obstruct the flow of bile from the gallbladder. On some occasions, the entire gallbladder must be removed by surgery.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• gallstones
  plural

Etymology

Origin of gallstone

First recorded in 1750–60; gall ¹ + stone

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

gallstone gallstones

In this patient’s case, the stuck gallstone blocked the flow of bilirubin into the gastrointestinal tract.

From New York Times ● May 16, 2023

A number of health boards have had to postpone things like hip and knee replacements or some less urgent surgeries like gallstone or tonsil removal because they are so busy.

From BBC ● Jan. 19, 2023

He was asked whether to remove a gallstone, if it was okay to begin chemotherapy, and whether this was a good time for a root canal.

From Washington Post ● Oct. 26, 2022

Ginsburg participated remotely from Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore in 2020 while hospitalized with an infection caused by a gallstone.

From Washington Times ● Mar. 21, 2022

"Why, it's nothing more than an enormous gallstone, revolving in space!"

From The Sloths of Kruvny by Vern Fearing

Doctors at a Los Angeles hospital were able to rule out gallstones, and on Tuesday, a representative for the “Goonies” star told The Times that they cracked the case, and Feldman is on the mend.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026

Because the pearls are denser than surrounding tissue and resemble small stones, they can sometimes complicate diagnosis by mimicking kidney or gallstones.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 1, 2026

Cases include electrocution, drowning, overdose, scurvy, sickle cell anemia, a nail in the chest, a fastball in the eye and gallstones, with all the personal drama one expects from a hospital show.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 4, 2025

The primary symptom of gallstones is agonizing episodes of pain.

From Slate ● Jul. 26, 2025

His liver was swollen and red and did not look healthy, but they could not find any sign of gallstones.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston