jaundice

noun jaun·dice \ ˈjȯn-dəs , ˈjän- \

Updated on: 16 May 2018

Definition of jaundice

1 : yellowish pigmentation of the skin, tissues, and body fluids caused by the deposition of bile pigments

2 : a disease or abnormal condition characterized by jaundice

3 : a state or attitude characterized by satiety, distaste, or hostility

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Examples of jaundice in a Sentence

the jaundice in the eyes of the two feuding neighbors was enough to kill crabgrass

Recent Examples of jaundice from the Web

The woman, named only as Sunita, 38, visited the hospital after suffering with severe abdominal pain, fever, vomiting and episodes of jaundice for six months.

— Fox News, "Surgeons pull 14 roundworms from woman's bile duct," 2 May 2018
The most common symptoms include nausea, vomiting, fever, fatigue, loss of appetite and jaundice, or yellowing of the skin or eyes.

— ellie kaufman, CNN, "Kentucky, Indiana latest states to report hepatitis A outbreaks," 1 May 2018
Cal suffered profound brain damage when his jaundice at birth was overlooked by the hospital.

— marie mccullough, Philly.com, "With a documentary on medical errors, a son carries on his physician father's legacy," 1 May 2018
Just as Reb Berish began to recite the Thirteen Principles of Faith, Melnik entered the room: a little man whose face was yellowed as if by jaundice and whose head bore only a few stray strands of black and gray hair.

— ben taub, The New Yorker, "The Boarder," 30 Apr. 2018
The disease attacks the liver and causes symptoms including abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, fever and jaundice.

— Detroit Free Press, "Michigan health departments get money to fight hepatitis A," 1 Apr. 2018
Ingestion of sago palm leaves, seeds or other plant parts causes liver failure, usually signaled by drooling, vomiting, diarrhea or a tarry black stool, depression, appetite loss, abdominal pain, lethargy and jaundice.

— kim campbell thornton, sacbee, "Sago palms pose serious risks to pets – here are key things to know | The Sacramento Bee," 14 Mar. 2018
About one recipient in 100,000 suffers a dangerous reaction like jaundice, hepatitis or encephalitis, Dr. Marques said, and about one in a million dies.

— New York Times, "Yellow Fever Circles Brazil’s Huge Cities," 5 Mar. 2018
If these heroes usually take pride in their past accomplishments, ours will view their legacy with more jaundice, perhaps wondering if any of these previous battles were worth the sacrifices, or even real.

— james mangold, latimes.com, "'Logan' director James Mangold on writing a superhero film without the trappings of the genre," 20 Feb. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of jaundice

Middle English jawnes, jaundis, from Anglo-French jaunice, galniz, from jaune, gaune yellow, from Latin galbinus greenish yellow

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

jaundice Synonyms

Other Medicine Terms

analgesia, angina, diabetes, hepatitis, homeopathy, logorrhea, palliate, pandemic

JAUNDICE Defined for English Language Learners

jaundice

noun

Definition of jaundice for English Language Learners

medical : a disease that causes a person's skin to turn yellow

Medical Dictionary

jaundice

noun jaun·dice \ ˈjȯn-dəs, ˈjän- \

medical Definition of jaundice

1 : a yellowish pigmentation of the skin, tissues, and certain body fluids caused by the deposition of bile pigments and especially bilirubin that follows interference with normal production and discharge of bile (as in certain liver diseases) or excessive breakdown of red blood cells (as after internal hemorrhage or in various hemolytic states) — called also icterus

2 : any disease or abnormal condition (as hepatitis A or leptospirosis) that is characterized by jaundice — called also icterus