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

People who eat more fiber-rich foods, like barley, are less likely to get gallstones and gallbladder disease.9 8. —Kathi Valeii Published, Verywell Health, 11 Mar. 2025

According to the Mayo Clinic, gallbladder removal, or cholecystectomy, is a common procedure, often performed using a small incision and a camera for a faster recovery. —Jonathan Granoff, Newsweek, 29 Jan. 2025

Digestive Support Turmeric helps stimulate bile production in the gallbladder, which promotes fat digestion. —Lindsay Curtis, Verywell Health, 21 Apr. 2025

How Bile Acids Shape the Microbiome Produced in the liver, stored in the gallbladder, and released into the small intestine after eating, bile acids are mostly known for breaking down dietary fats and helping absorb fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K. —Discover Magazine, 17 Apr. 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