gallbladder

noun

gall·​blad·​der ˈgȯl-ˌbla-dər 

plural gallbladders

: a membranous muscular sac in which bile from the liver is concentrated and stored before being passed to the intestinal duodenum

After a meal, the gallbladder contracts and injects several tablespoons of bile into the small intestines, where the detergent-like bile salts break up fats.

—David Schardt

For reasons not yet entirely clear, many people, women more often than men, are predisposed to forming stones in their gallbladder.

—Sherwin B. Nuland

Examples of gallbladder in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

An appendectomy is the most expensive at $20,194, followed by a C-section delivery for pregnancy at $15,603, vaginal delivery at $9,697, gallbladder removal at $9,256, kidney stone removal using shockwave crushing at $8,900, colonoscopy with tumor removal at $2,920, skin abscesses removal at $906. —Berkeley Lovelace Jr, NBC news, 22 Oct. 2025

At the hospital, the doctors decided to take out my gallbladder. —Daryl Wilber, Health, 14 Oct. 2025

During digestion, fat stimulates the release of bile acids from the gallbladder. —Brittany Lubeck, Verywell Health, 8 Oct. 2025

Other more serious, though rare, risks include pancreatitis, gallbladder disease and potential kidney injury — particularly if severe dehydration occurs due to vomiting, the expert cautioned. —Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 2 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

gall entry 1 + bladder

First Known Use

1585, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for gallbladder

• stepladder
• adder
• bladder
• ladder
• madder
• sadder

Kids Definition

gallbladder

noun

gall·​blad·​der ˈgȯl-ˌblad-ər 

: a muscular sac in which bile from the liver is stored

Medical Definition

gallbladder

noun

gall·​blad·​der ˈgȯl-ˌblad-ər 

: a membranous muscular sac in which bile from the liver is concentrated and stored before being passed to the duodenum

Gallstones are made of cholesterol, a normal component of the bile stored in the gallbladder.

—D. Shiga, Science News

Removal of the gallbladder—a pear-shaped sac in the right side of your abdomen—has little adverse effect on digestion. After surgery, bile flows directly from your liver to your small intestine rather than being stored first in your gallbladder.

—Mayo Clinic Health Letter