liver

¹ American  

[liv-er] / ˈlɪv ər /

noun

1. Anatomy. a large, reddish-brown, glandular organ located in the upper right side of the abdominal cavity, divided by fissures into five lobes and functioning in the secretion of bile and various metabolic processes.

2. an organ in other animals similar to the human liver, often used as food.

3. a diseased condition of the liver; biliousness.

   a touch of liver.

4. a reddish-brown color.

5. a rubberlike, irreversible thickening suspension occurring in paint, ink, etc., due to a chemical reaction between a colloidal pigment and a vehicle or as a result of polymerization of the vehicle.

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adjective

1. of the color of liver.

verb (used without object)

1. (of paint, ink, etc.) to undergo irreversible thickening.

liver ² American  

[liv-er] / ˈlɪv ər /

noun

1. a person who lives in a manner specified.

   an extravagant liver.

2. a dweller or resident; inhabitant.

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liver ³ American  

[lahy-ver] / ˈlaɪ vər /

adjective

1. comparative of live.

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liver ¹ British  

/ ˈlɪvə /

noun

1. a person who lives in a specified way

   a fast liver

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liver ² British  

/ ˈlɪvə /

noun

1. a multilobed highly vascular reddish-brown glandular organ occupying most of the upper right part of the human abdominal cavity immediately below the diaphragm. It secretes bile, stores glycogen, detoxifies certain poisons, and plays an important part in the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins, and fat, helping to maintain a correct balance of nutrients

2. the corresponding organ in animals

3. the liver of certain animals used as food

4. a reddish-brown colour, sometimes with a greyish tinge

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liver Scientific  

/ lĭv′ər /

1. A large glandular organ in the abdomen of vertebrate animals that is essential to many metabolic processes. The liver secretes bile, stores fat and sugar as reserve energy sources, converts harmful substances to less toxic forms, and regulates the amount of blood in the body.

2. A similar organ of invertebrate animals.

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liver Cultural  

1. A large organ, located on the right side of the abdomen and protected by the lower rib cage, that produces bile and blood proteins, stores vitamins for later release into the bloodstream, removes toxins (including alcohol) from the blood, breaks down old red blood cells, and helps maintain levels of blood sugar in the body.

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Other Word Forms

• liverless
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of liver¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English liver(e), liverre, Old English lifer(e), cognate with Dutch lever, German Leber, Old Norse lifr; further origin uncertain; perhaps akin to Greek liparós “fat, gleaming, fruitful”

Origin of liver²

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; see origin at live ¹, -er ¹

Explanation

Your liver is an internal organ that does the important job of filtering toxins out of blood as it flows from your digestive tract to the rest of your body. All vertebrates (animals with spines) have a liver. In humans, the liver sits in the upper right-hand side of the abdominal cavity, nestled just above the stomach. Livers are powerful organs, able to break down harmful substances and remove them from your system, produce bile that allows you to digest fat, help your blot to clot, and much more. Many people consider the livers of certain animals to be a delicious delicacy.

Example Sentences

In contrast, liver cancer appeared in 2 out of 8 untreated aging mice.

From Science Daily • May 9, 2026

Scientists may have discovered a powerful new link between the gut microbiome, aging, and liver cancer.

From Science Daily • May 9, 2026

In 2024, for example, more than 700 newborns died from spontaneous bleeding in their brains, which could have been complicated by liver disease or prematurity.

From Salon • May 7, 2026

Hepatitis A is a liver infection that can spread via the poo of an infected person.

From BBC • May 6, 2026

“Well, don’t let it trouble you. Let it trouble me. You see, I don’t really have a liver condition. I’ve just got the symptoms. I have a Gamett-Fleischaker syndrome.”

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller

Related Words

• citizen
• dweller
• inhabitant
• inmate
• local
• native
• resident
• tenant