bile

noun

ˈbī(-ə)l

: a yellow or greenish alkaline fluid that is secreted by the liver, stored and concentrated in the gallbladder, and passed into the intestinal duodenum where it aids especially in the breakdown and absorption of fats

Note: Bile is composed primarily of water containing various organic and inorganic components (such as bile salts, cholesterol, bilirubin, and electrolytes).

: either of two humors (see humor entry 1 sense 2c) believed in ancient and medieval physiology to be associated with irascibility or melancholy see also black bile, yellow bile

: anger

His bile rises as he recounts the story, still furious more than seven years later.—

Arnold Wayne Jones

Those on the wrong side of the … recovery may find their bile rising at the thoughts of banks making more money …—

Jeffrey Halley

… [Dilly] Barlow [documentarian] finds islanders still smarting from the posthumous publication of Montgomery's caustic journals in which she vented all her suppressed bile about the local residents.—

Stephanie Billen

: speech or writing that expresses bitter anger or hatred : acrimony, vitriol

These days it's fashionable to get hopped up on hate from some Facebook bubble of similarly outraged people and then spew bile …—

Rob Port

The amount of bile directed at the England captain since Wednesday's defeat by Northern Ireland has been extraordinary and uncalled for.—

The Times (London, England)

Zogby … responds to e-mailed bile by offering to pray for the senders.—

Monica Hesse

… a stunning "Ballad of a Thin Man," featuring Dylan spitting the bile-filled lyrics with vigor …—

Andy Greene

Davis, who has already bashed her parents in two thinly disguised novels, is reportedly spilling more bile to celebrity biographer Kitty Kelley …—

Newsweek

Example Sentences

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 on the Web This was not Kanye spreading anti-Semitic bile before returning to his limelight. —

Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 21 Apr. 2023 Episodes begin with a cartoon sequence in which a skeleton sprays blood and bile at a suburban home with a white picket fence to transform it into a haunted house. —

Molly Fitzpatrick, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2022 Foods could also cause imbalance: mustard and the brightly colored edible flower nasturtium produced reddish bile, lentils and cabbage black bile, and leeks, onions, and garlic created evil humors in the blood. —

Olivia Campbell, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Mar. 2021 The liver, which filters blood in the body and breaks down substances such as alcohol and drugs, produces bile, a fluid that helps digest fats eliminate wastes. —

Nada Hassanein, USA TODAY, 26 Feb. 2023 Another way that liver disease can cause vitamin D deficiency is by affecting the production of bile. —

Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 20 Apr. 2022 All this bile, hyperbole, and conspiracy theorizing has an actual, material effect: to reinforce a status quo dominated by unaccountable global multinational corporations. —

Jan Dutkiewicz, The New Republic, 17 Apr. 2023 Anatomy of Biliary Duct System Your biliary system is a network of organs, ducts, and other structures that produce, store, and transport bile—a fluid that aids in digestion. —

Doru Paul, Verywell Health, 19 Mar. 2023 And that’s why living your life only to avoid disappointment will result in a tiny, isolated existence where all your dreams calcify in the back of your throat and turn into bile. —

Goldie Chan, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bile.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin bilis; akin to Welsh bustl bile

First Known Use

1547, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Time Traveler

The first known use of bile was in 1547

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Bile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bile. Accessed 31 May. 2023.

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Kids Definition

bile

noun

ˈbī(ə)l

: a thick bitter yellow or greenish fluid that is secreted by the liver and aids in the digestion and absorption of fats in the duodenum

: ill will, anger

Medical Definition

bile

noun

ˈbī(ə)l

: a yellow or greenish alkaline fluid that is secreted by the liver, stored and concentrated in the gallbladder, and passed into the duodenum where it aids especially in the emulsification and absorption of fats

Note: Bile is composed primarily of water containing various organic and inorganic components (such as bile salts, cholesterol, bilirubin, and electrolytes).

: either of two humors (see humor sense 2) believed in ancient and medieval physiology to be associated with irascibility and melancholy see also black bile, yellow bile