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hepatic

American  
[hi-pat-ik] / hɪˈpæt ɪk /

adjective

  1. of or relating to the liver.

  2. acting on the liver, as a medicine.

  3. liver-colored; dark reddish-brown.

  4. Botany. belonging or pertaining to the liverworts.


noun

  1. a medicine acting on the liver.

  2. a liverwort.

hepatic British  
/ hɪˈpætɪk /

adjective

  1. of or relating to the liver

  2. botany of or relating to the liverworts

  3. having the colour of liver

"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

noun

  1. obsolete any of various drugs for use in treating diseases of the liver

  2. a less common name for a liverwort

"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
hepatic Scientific  
/ hĭ-pătĭk /
  1. Relating to or involving the liver.


Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of hepatic

1350–1400; Middle English epatik ≪ Latin hēpaticus < Greek hēpatikós. See hepato-, -ic

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:

Towle was not shy about showing her stomach, where she had a hepatic artery pump implanted, on social media.

From BBC Aug. 6, 2026

This is the second serious complication for Foundayo, with 34 adverse events tracked; its label warns against severe hepatic impairment.

From Barron's May 4, 2026

Foundayo’s label carries a warning that the medication is “not recommended for use in patients with severe hepatic impairment,”while noting that patients with mild or moderate liver impairment still can take a standard dose.

From Barron's May 4, 2026

Samples were taken from the hepatic portal vein, which carries blood from the intestine to the liver, and from peripheral blood, which travels from the liver to the heart before circulating through the body.

From Science Daily Dec. 14, 2025

Father Nicanor was in bed with hepatic fever.

From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

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