bile

noun \ ˈbī(-ə)l \

|Updated on: 14 Jun 2018

Definition of bile

1 a : either of two humors associated in old physiology with irascibility and melancholy

b : a yellow or greenish viscid alkaline fluid secreted by the liver and passed into the duodenum where it aids especially in the emulsification and absorption of fats

2 a : inclination to anger

b : acrimony, vitriol

See bile defined for English-language learners

See bile defined for kids

Examples of bile in a Sentence

One writer objected to what she described as “the bile that is spewed from the newspaper's editorial page.”
with considerable bile, the author recounts a childhood filled with misery and loneliness

Recent Examples of bile from the Web

In 2009, she was diagnosed with bile-duct cancer that had spread to her liver.

— laurie mcginley, ajc, "Researchers use immune-cell 'army' to battle another tough cancer," 4 June 2018
In those instances, your bile doesn’t have a chance to become brown, Dr. Shen says.

— korin miller, SELF, "Here Are All the Things That Can Cause Bizarre Green Poop," 30 May 2018
Meanwhile, because of the unfiltered comedian’s straight-up bile, Barr’s sitcom about the challenges facing a working class family has been canceled, putting a whole bunch of people out of work.

— karla peterson, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Rosanne Barr's new sitcom is canceled because of some old hate," 29 May 2018
The oracle comes forth every so often with his bile from on high and really says nothing of importance.

— Houston Chronicle, "Sleepless nights with MCHD generators," 29 Mar. 2018
But the MPs reserved special bile for the Big Four accounting firms—not just KPMG, which audited Carillion’s accounts for 19 years, but also its peers, Deloitte, EY and PwC, each of which extracted fees from the company, before and after its fall.

— The Economist, "Reforming the Big Four," 24 May 2018
Two bags are now attached to her abdomen to drain the bile.

— wayne drash, CNN, "Her only chance at life is a new liver, but her insurer said no. Then she wrote a powerful plea to the CEO," 13 May 2018
Despite her half-sister’s bile, Meghan emerges from Morton’s account as a good egg — compassionate, diligent and poised.

— tina brown, Time, "Tina Brown: Meghan Markle Was Destined to Be the Ideal 21st-Century Princess," 26 Apr. 2018
When your poop is light, the liver isn't producing enough bile, which means your body is not detoxifying well.

— tehrene firman, Redbook, "12 Things Your Poop Says About Your Health," 15 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bile.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of bile

Latin bilis; akin to Welsh bustl bile

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1547

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

bile Synonyms

Synonyms

acidity, acidness, acridity, acridness, acrimony, asperity, bitterness, cattiness, corrosiveness, mordancy, tartness, virulence, virulency, vitriol;

Near Antonyms

civility, cordiality, courtesy, diplomacy, geniality, graciousness, kindness, politeness, tactfulness;

compassion, softness, sweetness, sympathy, tenderness, warmth;

oiliness, smoothness, suaveness, suavity, unctuousness, urbanity;

coldness, crossness, discourteousness, iciness, impoliteness, incivility, nastiness, rudeness, sourness, surliness, ungraciousness;

anger, animosity, gall, jaundice, malevolence, malice, rancor, scorn, spite, spleen, venom, vindictiveness;

jealousy, pique, resentment, sour grapes;

Other Biochemistry Terms

biodegradable, capsaicin, keratin, metabolism

BILE Defined for English Language Learners

bile

noun

Definition of bile for English Language Learners

: a yellow or greenish liquid that is made by the liver and that helps the body to digest fats
: anger or hatred

BILE Defined for Kids

bile

noun \ ˈbīl \

Definition of bile for Students

: a thick bitter yellow or greenish fluid produced by the liver to aid in digestion of fats in the small intestine

Medical Dictionary

bile

noun \ ˈbī(ə)l \

medical Definition of bile

1 : a yellow or greenish viscid alkaline fluid secreted by the liver and passed into the duodenum where it aids especially in the emulsification and absorption of fats — called also fel

2 : either of two humors associated in old physiology with irascibility and melancholy