bile

[bahyl]

noun

1. Physiology.,  a bitter, alkaline, yellow or greenish liquid, secreted by the liver, that aids in absorption and digestion, especially of fats.

2. ill temper; peevishness.

3. Old Physiology.,  either of two humors associated with anger and gloominess.

bile

¹

/ baɪl /

noun

1. a bitter greenish to golden brown alkaline fluid secreted by the liver and stored in the gall bladder. It is discharged during digestion into the duodenum, where it aids the emulsification and absorption of fats

2. irritability or peevishness

3. archaic,  either of two bodily humours, one of which ( black bile ) was thought to cause melancholy and the other ( yellow bile ) anger

bile

²

/ bəɪl /

verb

1. a Scot word for boil 1

bile

1. A bitter, alkaline, brownish-yellow or greenish-yellow fluid that is secreted by the liver, concentrated and stored in the gallbladder, and discharged into the duodenum of the small intestine. It helps in the digestion of fats and the neutralization of acids, such as the hydrochloric acid secreted by the stomach. Bile consists of salts, acids, cholesterol, lipids, pigments, and water.

2. ◆ Bile salts help in the emulsification, digestion, and absorption of fats.

3. ◆ Bile pigments are waste products formed by the breakdown of hemoglobin from old red blood cells.

bile

1. A bitter fluid produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder. Bile is discharged into the small intestine when needed to aid in the digestion of fats (see digestive system).

Bile is sometimes used figuratively to denote bitterness in general: “His writing was full of bile.”

Word History and Origins

Origin of bile¹

First recorded in 1655–65; from French, from Latin bīlis; of disputed origin; compare Breton bestl, Medieval Cornish bystel, Welsh bustl

Word History and Origins

Origin of bile¹

C17: from French, from Latin bīlis , probably of Celtic origin; compare Welsh bustl bile

Example Sentences

Meghan is a wealthy American woman living a royal dream, if you ignore the geyser of British tabloid bile constantly burbling in the background of her life.

From Salon

What kind of con artist cons the con man into thinking he believes this bile.

From Salon

There has been some success with the Australian government's crown-of-thorns starfish culling programme, which has killed over 50,000 starfish by injecting them with vinegar or ox bile.

From BBC

While Spencer regularly trashed Muslims and other immigrants, he directed most of his bile at Mexicans.

From Los Angeles Times

In place of fermented grapes stood yellow rice wine, incendiary sorghum liquor and, if the night was long enough, out came a bottle of the latter infused with snake bile, promising virility.

From Salon

Related Words

• acrimony 
• animosity 
• animus 
• antagonism 
• bad blood 
• bitterness 
• enmity 
• grudge 
• harshness www.thesaurus.com
• hatred 
• hostility 
• ill will 
• malice 
• resentment 
• venom