hepatic
Americanadjective
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of or relating to the liver.
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acting on the liver, as a medicine.
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liver-colored; dark reddish-brown.
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Botany. belonging or pertaining to the liverworts.
noun
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a medicine acting on the liver.
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a liverwort.
adjective
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of or relating to the liver
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botany of or relating to the liverworts
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having the colour of liver
noun
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obsolete any of various drugs for use in treating diseases of the liver
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a less common name for a liverwort
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.
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
Researchers observed no cases of drug-induced liver injury, and there was no hepatic safety signal.
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
They also showed how Netrin-1 activates hepatic stellate cells, which are involved in liver fibrosis, a serious chronic disease, priming the liver as a host for cancer.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 16, 2023
Father Nicanor, consumed by hepatic fever, was replaced by Father Coronel, whom they called “The Pup,” a veteran of the first federalist war.
From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.