bile

noun \ ˈbī(-ə)l \

Updated on: 6 Apr 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

But what happens now that the most popular cable news network in the U.S. is pumping Breitbartian bile into millions of homes—including the president’s—every morning and night?

— jeet heer, The New Republic, "The Breitbartization of Fox News," 22 Mar. 2018
And it has been boosted with special chemicals that the liver needs in order to produce bile; with insulin to regulate the organ’s metabolism; and with nutrition in the form of glucose and amino acids.

— The Economist, "MedicineLivers for transplant can now be kept alive at body temperature," 25 Jan. 2018
No issue has done more than immigration to feed populism, and finding a sustainable compromise would drain much of the bile from today’s politics.

— william a. galston, WSJ, "Populism’s Challenge to Democracy," 16 Mar. 2018
The corners draw samples of blood, urine, bile and vitreous from the eyes of the deceased.

— kimberly fornek, chicagotribune.com, "Hinsdale South students experience trip to DuPage morgue," 25 Jan. 2018
More: Tom Izzo delivers fiery defense of himself, MSU basketball Yet fan bases don’t need a traditional rival to feel the bile stirring in their gut.

— shawn windsor, Detroit Free Press, "For Michigan, MSU, feeling like a winner can mean throwing some dirt," 1 Mar. 2018
Az bile demişim Şerefini 2 kuruşa satmış Dopingciye@hidoturkoglu15 Bir 4 de benden koy usta.

— michael mcgough, sacbee, "Knicks’ Kanter charged for insulting former Kings player Turkoglu on social media," 8 Feb. 2018
With Whiteside sick and not producing much of anything other than bile, the Heat’s first round pick finished with 15 points, 13 rebounds and a season-high tying six assists in 29 minutes off the bench.

— manny navarro, miamiherald, "Is it time to change the starting lineup? Heat’s All-Star point guard says yes," 3 Feb. 2018
Carter’s Little Liver Pills were billed as a medicine aiding bile flow in the liver.

— caroline rogers, Southern Living, "The History of Carter’s Little Pills," 31 Jan. 2018

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