bile

noun \ ˈbī(-ə)l \

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

The chants echoing the same anti-Semitic bile heard across Europe in the 1930s.

— joe biden, The Atlantic, "'We Are Living Through a Battle for the Soul of This Nation'," 27 Aug. 2017
Doctors use the scope to diagnose and treat problems in the digestive tract, such as gallstones, cancers and blockages in the bile duct.

— chad terhune, Kaiser Health News, "Scope Maker Olympus Hit With $6.6 Million Verdict In Superbug Outbreak Case," 25 July 2017
Richard Bigler was one of at least 35 patients in American hospitals to die since 2013 after developing infections tied to Olympus duodenoscopes — snakelike tubes threaded down a patient’s throat to diagnose and treat bile-duct problems.

— jonel aleccia, The Seattle Times, "Virginia Mason awarded $6.6M in contaminated-scope lawsuit — but hospital has to pay family," 24 July 2017
Bile is an alkaline solution secreted by the liver and held in the gallbladder.

— jason daley, Smithsonian, "Vietnam Commits to Shut Down Bear Bile Farms," 22 July 2017
According to TIME, veterinarians think the cause is exposure to biliverdin, a green bile pigment found in the placenta, which can stain a pup's coat when mixed with the mom's amniotic fluid.

— lauren matthews, Country Living, "Meet 'Forest', a Golden Retriever Puppy Who Was Born Green," 18 July 2017
May all your future text conversations be filled with love and bile.

— chris gayomali, GQ, "Apple Is Getting a Vomit Face Emoji to Make All Your Friendships Better," 17 July 2017
Biles became the most decorated U.S. Olympic gymnast at the Rio de Janeiro Games, winning five medals, including four golds and a bronze.

— beth harris, The Seattle Times, "Westbrook, Biles win athlete of year honors at The ESPYS," 12 July 2017
Biles returned home with a note suggesting she be enrolled into a class such was her natural aptitude for the sport.

— chris murphy, CNN, "Simone Biles: Body image issue was biggest personal challenge," 3 July 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

See Words from the same year

bile Synonyms

Synonyms

acidity, acidness, acridity, acridness, asperity, acrimony, 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

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