Bilious

The adjective for bile, bilious has three meanings. It means of or relating to bile. By extension, bilious means suffering from liver dysfunction (and especially excessive secretion of bile). And, further by extension, it is indicative of a peevish ill-natured disposition. The word "bilious" goes back to the old belief that there were four bodily humors (black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, and blood) and these four humors determined a person's temperament. "Bilious" was the personality type associated with an excess of yellow bile. The word "bilious" derives from the French "bilieux," which in turn came from "bilis," the Latin term for "bile."

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1. SYN: biliary. 2. Relating to or characteristic of biliousness. 3. Formerly, denoting a temperament characterized by a quick, irritable temper. SYN: choleric.

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bil·ious 'bil-yəs adj

1) of or relating to bile

2) marked by or affected with disordered liver function and esp. excessive secretion of bile

bil·ious·ness n

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adj.

1. containing bile; for example bilious vomiting is the vomiting of bile-containing fluid.

2. a lay term used to describe attacks of nausea or vomiting.

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bil·ious (bilґyəs) [L. biliosus] 1. characterized by an excess of bile or by biliousness. 2. biliary.