1
a
: a yellow or greenish alkaline fluid that is secreted by the liver, stored and concentrated in the gallbladder, and passed into the intestinal duodenum where it aids especially in the breakdown and absorption of fats
Note: Bile is composed primarily of water containing various organic and inorganic components (such as bile salts, cholesterol, bilirubin, and electrolytes).
b
: either of two humors (see humor entry 1 sense 2c) believed in ancient and medieval physiology to be associated with irascibility or melancholy see also black bile, yellow bile
2
a
: anger
His bile rises as he recounts the story, still furious more than seven years later.—
Arnold Wayne Jones
Arnold Wayne JonesThose on the wrong side of the … recovery may find their bile rising at the thoughts of banks making more money …—Jeffrey Halley
Jeffrey Halley… [Dilly] Barlow [documentarian] finds islanders still smarting from the posthumous publication of Montgomery's caustic journals in which she vented all her suppressed bile about the local residents.—Stephanie Billen
Stephanie Billen
b
: speech or writing that expresses bitter anger or hatred : acrimony, vitriol
These days it's fashionable to get hopped up on hate from some Facebook bubble of similarly outraged people and then spew bile …—Rob Port
Rob PortThe amount of bile directed at the England captain since Wednesday's defeat by Northern Ireland has been extraordinary and uncalled for.—The Times (London, England)
The Times (London, England)Zogby … responds to e-mailed bile by offering to pray for the senders.—Monica Hesse
Monica Hesse… a stunning "Ballad of a Thin Man," featuring Dylan spitting the bile-filled lyrics with vigor …—Andy Greene
Andy GreeneDavis, who has already bashed her parents in two thinly disguised novels, is reportedly spilling more bile to celebrity biographer Kitty Kelley …—Newsweek
NewsweekExamples 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 on the Web
Bile duct diseases: Diseases that affect the tubes that carry bile away from the liver, or bile ducts, include primary biliary cirrhosis, primary sclerosing cholangitis and biliary atresia.
—Lisa Rapaport, EverydayHealth.com, 28 Feb. 2025
Other causes for a liver transplant include diseases that affect bile ducts that carry bile from the liver, such as biliary cirrhosis, primary sclerosing cholangitis and biliary atresia.
—Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 27 Feb. 2025
The gel traps bile, a substance that our liver produces from cholesterol to help digest fat, and prevents the body from reabsorbing it.
—Isobel Whitcomb, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2025
This starts with inflammation, and the ducts eventually close, leading to bile (digestive fluid) buildup in the liver.
—Mark Gurarie, Health, 13 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for bile
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Lisa Rapaport, EverydayHealth.com, 28 Feb. 2025
Other causes for a liver transplant include diseases that affect bile ducts that carry bile from the liver, such as biliary cirrhosis, primary sclerosing cholangitis and biliary atresia.
—Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 27 Feb. 2025
The gel traps bile, a substance that our liver produces from cholesterol to help digest fat, and prevents the body from reabsorbing it.
—Isobel Whitcomb, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2025
This starts with inflammation, and the ducts eventually close, leading to bile (digestive fluid) buildup in the liver.
—Mark Gurarie, Health, 13 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for bile
Articles Related to bile
Cite this Entry
“Bile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bile. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.
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Medical Definition
bile
noun1
: a yellow or greenish alkaline fluid that is secreted by the liver, stored and concentrated in the gallbladder, and passed into the duodenum where it aids especially in the emulsification and absorption of fats
Note: Bile is composed primarily of water containing various organic and inorganic components (such as bile salts, cholesterol, bilirubin, and electrolytes).
2
: either of two humors (see humor sense 2) believed in ancient and medieval physiology to be associated with irascibility and melancholy see also black bile, yellow bile
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