liver
1 Americannoun
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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.
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an organ in other animals similar to the human liver, often used as food.
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a diseased condition of the liver; biliousness.
a touch of liver.
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a reddish-brown color.
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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.
adjective
verb (used without object)
noun
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a person who lives in a manner specified.
an extravagant liver.
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a dweller or resident; inhabitant.
adjective
noun
noun
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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
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the corresponding organ in animals
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the liver of certain animals used as food
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a reddish-brown colour, sometimes with a greyish tinge
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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.
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A similar organ of invertebrate animals.
Other Word Forms
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.
Vocabulary lists containing liver
Human Anatomy and Physiology - Introductory
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Human Anatomy and Physiology - High School
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Nutrition and Digestion - Introductory
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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.
Experts later determined she suffered from severe anemia; blood clots in both wings and one kidney; liver and lung abnormalities; and inadequate bone marrow response.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
In June, Australia's government reported six cases of acute liver injury linked to products labelled Retatrutide.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
More than 2.4 million people today live with hepatitis C, a viral infection that primarily affects the liver and can ultimately destroy it.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
The method also performed strongly when used to monitor people at high risk for liver cancer, including individuals with liver cirrhosis or HBV.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 11, 2026
“Some little cans of things from France. Mushrooms and liver paste and sardines so little you can hardly see them.”
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
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.
