English Explanatory Dictionary

liver

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A large organ in the body that stores and metabolizes nutrients, destroys toxins and produces bile. It is responsible for thousands of biochemical reactions.
  2. This organ, as taken from animals used as food.
  3. A dark brown colour, tinted with red and gray, like the colour of liver.
  4. Any of various chemical compounds—particularly sulfides—thought to resemble livers in color.
adj
  1. Of the colour of liver (dark brown, tinted with red and gray).
noun
  1. Someone who lives (usually in a specified way).
  2. Someone who is alive: one of the living.
  3. Someone who lives in a particular place; an inhabitant, a dweller.
adj
  1. comparative form of live: more live
adj
  1. From or pertaining to Liverpool.

Pronunciation

/ˈlɪvə/ /ˈlɪvɚ/ En-us-liver.ogg /ˈlɪvə(ɹ)/ /ˈlaɪvə(ɹ)/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-liver.wav

Word forms

liver livers more Liver most Liver

Etymology

From Middle English lyvere, lyver, from Old English lifer (“liver”), from Proto-West Germanic *libru, from Proto-Germanic *librō, from Proto-Indo-European *leyp- (“to smear, smudge, stick”), from Proto-Indo-European *ley- (“to be slimy, be sticky, glide”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Líeuwer, Lieuwer (“liver”),German Leber (“liver”), Danish, Dutch, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, Swedish, and West Frisian lever (“liver”), Faroese livur (“liver”), Icelandic lifur (“liver”). Related to live.

Synonyms

Scouse Liverpudlian

Related words

detoxification fascioliasis gout jaundice foie gras heparin hepatic liver bird

Derived words

antiliver cat liver fluke chicken liver chopped liver cod liver oil fatty liver Fried Liver Attack frosted liver hemiliver hobnail liver lily-livered liver and onions liver cancer livered liver-faced liver fluke liver function test liver-grown liver-hearted livering liverish liverleaf liverless liverlike liverloaf livermush liver of antimony liver of sulfur liver rot liver salts liver sausage liver spot liver wing liverwort liverwurst livery nonliver nutmeg liver sea liver sheep liver fluke sugar-coated liver xenoliver yellow liver bottom liver cross-liver free liver

Translations

Finnish: eläjä Hungarian: élő Middle English: lyvere
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