fatty liver

noun

Definition of fatty liver

: an abnormal condition of the liver that is marked by excess lipid accumulation in the hepatocytes and is typically associated with obesity, malnutrition, rapid weight loss, excessive alcohol consumption, hyperlipidemia, toxins, or diabetes; also : a liver affected with fatty liver

Recent Examples of fatty liver from the Web

McKeown had developed a condition called nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

— elizabeth millard, SELF, "Why You Might Get Liver Disease Even If You’re Not Much of a Drinker," 2 Nov. 2017
New studies are investigating ways to treat fatty liver disease early in life and prevent it from recurring after transplantation, Alkhouri said.

— carolyn crist, Washington Post, "Fatty liver disease fastest-growing reason for transplants in young U.S. adults," 29 Oct. 2017
Research has linked all of these ingredients to chronic health problems, including obesity, heart disease, diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and some types of cancer, according to King.

— lisa drayer, CNN, "'Detox' from overly processed foods: Why and how to cut back," 27 Oct. 2017
The doctors noted that certain underlying conditions, such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, could increase the risk of developing liver damage while taking Epsom salt.

— beth mole, Ars Technica, "Naturopath teaches real doctors something—a new way to cause liver damage," 3 Oct. 2017
According to research published this year in the journal Scientific Reports, rats that were given very low doses of glyphosate each day began to show signs of fatty liver disease after three months.

— brigit katz, Smithsonian, "Trace Amounts of Pesticide Found in Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream," 26 July 2017

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

First Known Use of fatty liver

circa 1839

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Medical Dictionary

fatty liver

noun

medical Definition of fatty liver

1 : an abnormal condition of the liver that is marked by excess accumulation of lipids (such as triglycerides) in the hepatocytes and is typically associated with obesity, malnutrition, rapid weight loss, excessive alcohol consumption, high levels of fat in the blood, diabetes, or toxins

Note: Fatty liver is often asymptomatic and benign but may progress to fibrosis and liver failure.

2 : a liver affected with fatty liver