Liver

Liver
Liver Liv"er, n. [AS. lifer; akin to D. liver, G. leber, OHG. lebara, Icel. lifr, Sw. lefver, and perh. to Gr. ? fat, E. live, v.] (Anat.) A very large glandular and vascular organ in the visceral cavity of all vertebrates. [1913 Webster]

Note: Most of the venous blood from the alimentary canal passes through it on its way back to the heart; and it secretes the bile, produces glycogen, and in other ways changes the blood which passes through it. In man it is situated immediately beneath the diaphragm and mainly on the right side. See {Bile}, {Digestive}, and {Glycogen}. The liver of invertebrate animals is usually made up of c[ae]cal tubes, and differs materially, in form and function, from that of vertebrates. [1913 Webster]

{Floating liver}. See {Wandering liver}, under {Wandering}.

{Liver of antimony}, {Liver of sulphur}. (Old Chem.) See {Hepar}.

{Liver brown}, {Liver color}, the color of liver, a dark, reddish brown.

{Liver shark} (Zo["o]l.), a very large shark ({Cetorhinus maximus}), inhabiting the northern coasts both of Europe and North America. It sometimes becomes forty feet in length, being one of the largest sharks known; but it has small simple teeth, and is not dangerous. It is captured for the sake of its liver, which often yields several barrels of oil. It has gill rakers, resembling whalebone, by means of which it separates small animals from the sea water. Called also {basking shark}, {bone shark}, {hoemother}, {homer}, and {sailfish}; it is sometimes referred to as {whale shark}, but that name is more commonly used for the {Rhincodon typus}, which grows even larger.

{Liver spots}, yellowish brown patches on the skin, or spots of chloasma. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • Liver — Liv er, n. 1. One who, or that which, lives. [1913 Webster] And try if life be worth the liver s care. Prior. [1913 Webster] 2. A resident; a dweller; as, a liver in Brooklyn. [1913 Webster] 3. One whose course of life has some marked… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • liver — liver1 [liv′ər] n. [ME livere < OE lifer, akin to Ger leber < ? IE base * leip , to smear with fat > Gr liparos, fat] 1. the largest glandular organ in vertebrate animals, located in the upper or anterior part of the abdomen: it secretes …   English World dictionary

  • Liver — von 1900 Liver von 1900 Liver ist eine ehem …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • liver — ► NOUN 1) a large organ in the abdomen that secretes bile and neutralizes toxins. 2) the flesh of an animal s liver as food. ORIGIN Old English …   English terms dictionary

  • Liver — Liv er (l[i^]v [ e]r), n. (Zo[ o]l.) The glossy ibis ({Ibis falcinellus}); said to have given its name to the city of Liverpool. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Liver — For other uses, see Liver (disambiguation). Liver Liver of a sheep: (1) right lobe, (2) left lobe, (3) caudate lobe, (4) quadrate lobe, (5) hepatic artery and portal vein, (6) hepatic lymph nodes, (7) gall bladder …   Wikipedia

  • liver — liver1 liverless, adj. /liv euhr/, n. 1. Anat. 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… …   Universalium

  • liver — The largest gland of the body, lying beneath the diaphragm in the right hypochondrium and upper part of the epigastric region; it is of irregular shape and weighs from 1–2 kg, or about 140 the weight of the body. As an exocrine gland it secretes …   Medical dictionary

  • liver — 1. n. 1 a a large lobed glandular organ in the abdomen of vertebrates, functioning in many metabolic processes including the regulation of toxic materials in the blood, secreting bile, etc. b a similar organ in other animals. 2 the flesh of an… …   Useful english dictionary

  • liver — noun 1 organ in the body ADJECTIVE ▪ diseased, enlarged, fatty ▪ healthy, normal ▪ donor ▪ a nationwide appeal for a donor liver …   Collocations dictionary

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