BILE

bile, gall

(noun) a digestive juice secreted by the liver and stored in the gallbladder; aids in the digestion of fats

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology 1

Noun

bile (usually uncountable, plural biles)

(biochemistry) A bitter brownish-yellow or greenish-yellow secretion produced by the liver, stored in the gall bladder, and discharged into the duodenum where it aids the process of digestion.

bitterness of temper; ill humour; irascibility.

Two of the four humours, black bile or yellow bile, in ancient and medieval physiology.

Synonyms

• gall

Etymology 2

Noun

bile (plural biles)

(obsolete) A boil (kind of swelling).

Verb

bile (third-person singular simple present biles, present participle biling, simple past and past participle biled)

Pronunciation spelling of boil.

Anagrams

• -ible, Lieb

Source: Wiktionary


Bile, n. Etym: [L. bilis: cf. F. bile.]

1. (Physiol.)

Definition: A yellow, or greenish, viscid fluid, usually alkaline in reaction, secreted by the liver. It passes into the intestines, where it aids in the digestive process. Its characteristic constituents are the bile salts, and coloring matters.

2. Bitterness of feeling; choler; anger; ill humor; as, to stir one's bile. Prescott.

Note: The ancients considered the bile to be the "humor" which caused irascibility.

Bile, n. Etym: [OE. byle, bule, bele, AS. b, b; skin to D. buil, G. beule, and Goth. ufbauljan to puff up. Cf. Boil a tumor, Bulge.]

Definition: A boil. [Obs. or Archaic]

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

3 March 2025

STAND

(verb) hold one’s ground; maintain a position; be steadfast or upright; “I am standing my ground and won’t give in!”


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Coffee Trivia

Coffee dates back to the 9th century. Goat herders in Ethiopia noticed their goats seem to be “dancing” after eating berries from a particular shrub. They reported it to the local monastery, and a monk made a drink out of it. The monk found out he felt energized and kept him awake at night. That’s how the first coffee drink was born.

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