jaundice

American  

[jawn-dis, jahn-] / ˈdʒɔn dɪs, ˈdʒɑn- /

noun

jaundices plural

1. Also called icterus.  Pathology. yellow discoloration of the skin, whites of the eyes, etc., due to an increase of bile pigments in the blood, often symptomatic of certain diseases, as hepatitis.

2. grasserie.

3. a state of feeling in which views are prejudiced or judgment is distorted, as by envy or resentment.

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verb (used with object)

jaundiced, jaundicing

1. to distort or prejudice, as by envy or resentment.

   His social position jaundiced his view of things.

jaundice British  

/ ˈdʒɔːndɪs /

noun

1. Also called: icterus.  yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes due to the abnormal presence of bile pigments in the blood, as in hepatitis

2. a mental state of bitterness, jealousy, and ill humour resulting in distorted judgment

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verb

1. to distort (the judgment, etc) adversely

   jealousy had jaundiced his mind

2. to affect with or as if with jaundice

jaundice Scientific  

/ jôn′dĭs /

1. Yellowish discoloration of the whites of the eyes, skin, or mucous membranes caused by the deposition of bile salts in these tissues, occurring as a sign of disorders that interfere with normal metabolism or transport of bile. Liver diseases such as hepatitis commonly cause jaundice.

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jaundice Cultural  

1. A condition in which the skin, the whites of the eye, and other tissues take on a yellowish color because of an excess of bile coloring in the blood.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• jaundiced
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• jaundices
  plural

Etymology

Origin of jaundice

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English jaundis, from Old French jaunisse, from jaune “yellow” (from Latin galbinus “greenish-yellow”) + -isse -ice

Explanation

Jaundice is a medical condition that causes a slight yellowing of the skin. Many newborn babies are diagnosed with slight jaundice and need to spend time in the sunlight every day for a few weeks. A patient with jaundice looks a little yellow, a condition that's caused by excess pigmentation due to deficiencies in the liver or bile duct. One common medical cause of jaundice is hepatitis, a liver condition. Another meaning of jaundice is the distortion of opinions due especially to envy or resentment: "I hope my winning another acting award won't jaundice your feelings about being in plays." The Latin root is galbinus, "greenish yellow," a color once associated with bitterness and envy.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

jaundice jaundices jaundiced jaundicing

By the time a patient experiences signs, such as jaundice – a yellowing of the skin – or abdominal pain, the cancer has often already spread to other organs.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 4, 2026

Symptoms in humans may include fever, headache, muscle aches, jaundice, vomiting, diarrhea and skin rash.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2025

Among adults, infection usually results in symptoms, with jaundice occurring in more than 70% of patients, according to the CDC.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 5, 2025

The hope over the first year is to reach 10,000 mothers, screen 9,000 children and introduce new protocols to try and prevent babies with jaundice from developing cerebral palsy.

From BBC ● Jan. 7, 2025

“Have you ever had jaundice, Miss Van Campen?”

From "A Farewell To Arms" by Ernest Hemingway

And thus they go on to the end of their term of life, full of their own fixed ideas, with their eyes full of beams and jaundices and darkness and death. 

From Bunyan Characters (3rd Series) by Whyte, Alexander

Sarah told the BBC she had to plead with doctors at City Hospital for her son to be seen by senior doctors after he began having seizures and became jaundiced.

From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026

In summary, we are viewing the failure of SPX to be able to convincingly push through to new all-time highs with a jaundiced eye.

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 8, 2026

Mr. Coen’s view of the contemporary dating scene seems both jaundiced and out of touch.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2025

The first four made a point of swapping directors and moods and even Ethan’s core identity: Brian De Palma made him a jaundiced naif; John Woo, a hot-blooded flirt; J.J.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2025

It was weird to watch his smooth, muscular flesh age, turn a jaundiced yellow, and start shriveling on the bone.

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda

It was a clash of temperaments hopelessly at odds, in which the spoken word weighed little beside the mute antipathy jaundicing the mind.

From The Henchman by Luther, Mark Lee

Related Words

• bias
• color
• distort
• predispose
• prejudice
• prepossess