liver

liver 1[liv-er] Word Origin noun

1. 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.
2. an organ in other animals similar to the human liver, often used as food.
3. a diseased condition of the liver; biliousness: a touch of liver.
4. a reddish-brown color.
5. 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

6. of the color of liver.

verb (used without object)

7. (of paint, ink, etc.) to undergo irreversible thickening.

Origin of liver 1 before 900; Middle English; Old English lifer, cognate with Dutch lever, German Leber, Old Norse lifr; perhaps akin to Greek liparós fatRelated formsliv·er·less, adjective British Dictionary definitions for livering liver 1 noun

1. 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 nutrientsRelated adjective: hepatic
2. the corresponding organ in animals
3. the liver of certain animals used as food
4. a reddish-brown colour, sometimes with a greyish tinge

Derived Formsliverless, adjectiveWord Origin for liver Old English lifer; related to Old High German lebrav, Old Norse lefr, Greek liparos fat liver 2 noun

1. a person who lives in a specified waya fast liver

Word Origin and History for livering liver n.1

secreting organ of the body, Old English lifer, from Proto-Germanic *librn (cf. Old Norse lifr, Old Frisian livere, Middle Dutch levere, Dutch lever, Old High German lebara, German Leber “liver”), perhaps from PIE *leip- “to stick adhere; fat.” Formerly believed to be the body’s blood-producing organ; in medieval times it rivaled the heart as the supposed seat of love and passion, hence lily-livered. Liver-spots, once thought to be caused by a dysfunction of the organ, is attested from 1730.

liver n.2

late 14c., agent noun from live (v.).

livering in Medicine liver [lĭv′ər] n.

1. The largest gland of the body, lying beneath the diaphragm in the upper right portion of the abdominal cavity, which secretes bile and is active in the formation of certain blood proteins and in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.

livering in Science liver [lĭv′ər]

1. 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.
2. A similar organ of invertebrate animals.

livering in Culture liver

A large organ, located on the right side of the abdomen and protected by the lower rib cage, that produces bile and blood proteins, stores vitamins for later release into the bloodstream, removes toxins (including alcohol) from the blood, breaks down old red blood cells, and helps maintain levels of blood sugar in the body.