liver
1 Americannoun
-
Anatomy. a large, reddish-brown, glandular organ located in the upper right side of the abdominal cavity, divided by fissures into five lobes and functioning in the secretion of bile and various metabolic processes.
-
an organ in other animals similar to the human liver, often used as food.
-
a diseased condition of the liver; biliousness.
a touch of liver.
-
a reddish-brown color.
-
a rubberlike, irreversible thickening suspension occurring in paint, ink, etc., due to a chemical reaction between a colloidal pigment and a vehicle or as a result of polymerization of the vehicle.
adjective
verb (used without object)
noun
-
a person who lives in a manner specified.
an extravagant liver.
-
a dweller or resident; inhabitant.
adjective
noun
noun
-
a multilobed highly vascular reddish-brown glandular organ occupying most of the upper right part of the human abdominal cavity immediately below the diaphragm. It secretes bile, stores glycogen, detoxifies certain poisons, and plays an important part in the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins, and fat, helping to maintain a correct balance of nutrients
-
the corresponding organ in animals
-
the liver of certain animals used as food
-
a reddish-brown colour, sometimes with a greyish tinge
-
A large glandular organ in the abdomen of vertebrate animals that is essential to many metabolic processes. The liver secretes bile, stores fat and sugar as reserve energy sources, converts harmful substances to less toxic forms, and regulates the amount of blood in the body.
-
A similar organ of invertebrate animals.
Other Word Forms
- liverless adjective
Etymology
Origin of liver1
First recorded before 900; Middle English liver(e), liverre, Old English lifer(e), cognate with Dutch lever, German Leber, Old Norse lifr; further origin uncertain; perhaps akin to Greek liparós “fat, gleaming, fruitful”
Origin of liver2
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The report said glyphosate caused “possible health effects,” such as “reproductive and developmental disorders as well as cancers, liver inflammation and metabolic disturbances.”
From Salon
Over time, frequent intake may also play a role in fatty liver disease, similar to other sugary products that spike blood sugar and encourage fat storage in the liver.
From Science Daily
Microbes that remove methylamines before they reach the liver help limit the production of this potentially harmful molecule.
From Science Daily
The medication appeared to cause certain minerals to build up in the stomach, while creating imbalances in the liver and spleen.
From Science Daily
The U.K. company has nonetheless moved to expand in diseases related to obesity such as liver conditions.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
