bile
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: Appendix:Variations of "bile"
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
Mid 16th century, via Middle French, from Latin bīlis (“bile”).
Noun
bile (usually uncountable, plural biles)
- A bitter brownish-yellow or greenish-yellow secretion produced by the liver, stored in the gall bladder, and discharged into the duodenum where it aids the process of digestion.
- Bitterness of temper; ill humour; irascibility.
- Two of the four humours, black bile or yellow bile, in ancient and medieval physiology.
- 1616, Alexander Roberts, A Treatise of Witchcraft:
- He spake out of the Pythonesse, Act. 16. 17. brought downe fire from heauen, and consumed Iobs sheepe 7000. and his seruants, raised a storme, strooke the house wherein his sonnes and daughters feasted with their elder brother, smote the foure corners of it, with the ruine whereof they all were destroyed, and perished: and ouerspread the body of that holy Saint their father with botches[t] and biles from the sole of his foot to the crowne of his head.
Synonyms
Derived terms
Translations
secretion produced by the liver
|
bitterness of temper; ill humour
|
Etymology 2
Obsolete form of boil. Akin to Dutch buil and German Beule, all from Proto-Germanic *būlǭ.
Noun
bile (plural biles)
Verb
bile (third-person singular simple present biles, present participle biling or bileing, simple past and past participle biled)
- Pronunciation spelling of boil.
- 1912, Stella George Stern Perry, Melindy, page 130:
- We pretty near biled ourselves and Miss Euly done got her bes' pink apron stained, an' I dropped Sis Suky's big kitchen spoon in de hogshead of sand […]
References
- “bile”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
Anagrams
Wikiwand in your browser!
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.
Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.
