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gall bladder

gall bladder

2 3.9
A small organ under the liver that stores bile until it enters the intestine
  • noun
  • /ɡɔl ˈblædər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : vesícula biliar
  • Many people don't realize how important the gall bladder is for digestion.
  • remove the gall bladder
  • gall bladder removal

Examples

  • The traditional order of palpation begins at the heart and then moves to the areas of gall bladder, liver, and lung.

    Blog text (10)
  • "They pulled the gangrenous gall bladder out through my navel," I said.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • Did you know they took my gall bladder out?

  • A friend of mine around the time this was going on... went in for a simple gall bladder operation, into a New York hospital.

  • The gall bladder duct leads to the duodenum.

  • The researchers have built a complete operating room around two existing procedures: gall bladder removal and an ectopic pregnancy.

    Academic text (2006)
  • I am about to start the Four Hour Body diet, but I am unable to eat eggs. I had my gall bladder out 2 years ago and had pancreatitis along with it, and I cannot eat high-fat foods.

    Blog text (13)
  • The doctor explained that the gall bladder stores bile before it is released into the intestine.

  • After the gall bladder was removed, she had to adjust her diet.

Synonyms

gallbladder
vsgall bladder
  • Specialized
31 4.2

A small sac under the liver that stores bile to help digest food

has the same meaning but is written as two separate words

Surface Forms

gall bladder singular
gall bladders plural
gallbladders plural
gallbladder singular

Morphology

gall + bladder

The compound is directly compositional: 'gall' (= bile) combined with 'bladder' (an organ that stores liquid) yields 'an organ that stores bile', so the meaning follows transparently from the parts. Noun–noun compounding to name organs is a common and predictable pattern cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should understand the MWE.

Etymology

Gall bladder names a small bag under the liver that holds gall, a bitter fluid the body uses when food arrives. The word bladder means 'small bag', so the name paints a clear image: a little bag that stores 'bile' for 'digestion'.