Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Of, relating to, or containing bile; biliary.
- adjective Characterized by an excess secretion of bile.
- adjective Relating to, characterized by, or experiencing gastric distress caused by a disorder of the liver or gallbladder.
- adjective Appearing as if affected by such a disorder; sickly.
- adjective Resembling bile, especially in color.
- adjective Having a peevish disposition; ill-humored.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Of or pertaining to, or partaking of the nature of, bile.
- In pathology, noting, subject to, or characterized by a disordered condition of the system, once supposed to depend on a derangement of the secretion of bile, marked by anorexia, furred tongue, a bad taste in the mouth, dull headache, drowsiness, disturbed sleep, with general malaise and depression.
- Suffering from biliousness.
- Figuratively, choleric; testy; cross.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective Of or pertaining to the bile.
- adjective Disordered in respect to the bile; troubled with an excess of bile; ; dependent on, or characterized by, an excess of bile.
- adjective Choleric; passionate; ill tempered.
- adjective See
Temperament .
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective Suffering from real or supposed
liver disorder , thus making oneill-natured . - adjective Of or pertaining to something
containing orconsisting ofbile . - adjective
Irritable or bad tempered;irascible .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective irritable as if suffering from indigestion
- adjective relating to or containing bile
- adjective suffering from or suggesting a liver disorder or gastric distress
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Therefore, to apply the term bilious to this temperament is not only unreasonable, but it is calculated to mislead.
The People's Common Sense Medical Adviser in Plain English or, Medicine Simplified, 54th ed., One Million, Six Hundred and Fifty Thousand Ray Vaughn Pierce 1877
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Cook was now taken seriously ill and was confined to his bed for several days by what he calls the bilious cholic, during which time
The Life of Captain James Cook Kitson, Arthur 1907
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The captain was now again taken ill of what he calls a bilious colic, which was so severe as to confine him to his bed, the charge of the ship devolving on Mr Cooper.
Captain Cook His Life, Voyages, and Discoveries William Henry Giles Kingston 1847
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This design Cook triumphantly carried out; though shortly after leaving southern latitudes he was so ill of what he describes as a bilious cholic, that his life was despaired of.
Captain Cook's Journal during his first voyage round the world 1767
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This design Cook triumphantly carried out; though shortly after leaving southern latitudes he was so ill of what he describes as a bilious cholic, that his life was despaired of.
Captain Cook's Journal During the First Voyage Round the World James Cook 1753
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I think she believes that the word bilious gives the note a kind of medical validity, and she enjoys using it.
Broken Music, A Memoir Sting 2003
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I'm sure if Kevin had used the word bilious in his performance, I would have let him get away with it.
Broken Music, A Memoir Sting 2003
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Of course, their eyes, skin, tongue, breath, and lack of vim and vigor tell the story of a long process of self-poisoning, with every now and then the eventuation of a storm of foulness, called a bilious attack -- meaning an overflow of filth.
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My malady, which the doctors call a bilious fever, lingers, or rather it returns with each sudden change of weather, though I am thankful to say that the relapses have hitherto been much milder than the first attack; but they keep me weak and reduced, especially as I am obliged to observe a very low spare diet.
Charlotte Brontë and Her Circle Clement King Shorter 1891
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He was during life subject to sudden headaches, affecting his memory and eyesight, and even his speech; these attacks were, according to the thoughtless phrase of the day, called bilious; that is, he was sick, and was relieved by a blue pill and smart medicine.
Spare Hours John Brown 1846
PossibleUnderscore commented on the word bilious
Remember that you are a human being with a soul and the divine gift of articulate speech: that your native language is the language of Shakespeare and Milton and The Bible; and don't sit there crooning like a bilious pigeon.
-Pygmalion, George Bernard Shaw
August 3, 2009