Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- adj. Of, relating to, or containing bile; biliary.
- adj. Characterized by an excess secretion of bile.
- adj. Relating to, characterized by, or experiencing gastric distress caused by a disorder of the liver or gallbladder.
- adj. Appearing as if affected by such a disorder; sickly.
- adj. Resembling bile, especially in color: a bilious green.
- adj. Having a peevish disposition; ill-humored.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- 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. It is peculiarly amenable to mercurial cathartics. This state seems to depend on a subacute dyspepsia, with possibly a derangement of the elaborative functions of the liver.
- Suffering from biliousness.
- Figuratively, choleric; testy; cross.
Wiktionary
- adj. Suffering from real or supposed liver disorder, thus making one ill-natured.
- adj. Of or pertaining to something containing or consisting of bile.
- adj. Irritable or bad tempered; irascible.
GNU Webster's 1913
- adj. Of or pertaining to the bile.
- adj. Disordered in respect to the bile; troubled with an excess of bile; ; dependent on, or characterized by, an excess of bile.
- adj. Choleric; passionate; ill tempered.
WordNet 3.0
- adj. irritable as if suffering from indigestion
- adj. relating to or containing bile
- adj. suffering from or suggesting a liver disorder or gastric distress
Examples
“Therefore, to apply the term bilious to this temperament is not only unreasonable, but it is calculated to mislead.”
“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
“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.”
“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
“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
“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
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“He doesn't care what kind of bilious lies he spreads.”
McCain: Obama Is An Extremist, "I Don't Know" If He's A Socialist
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘bilious’.
-
GRE Barrons Wordlist
A complete Barron's Wordlist for GRE preparation. Your online flashcard replacement.
abase, abash, abate, abbreviate, abdicate, aberrant, aberration, abet, abeyance, abhor, abject, abjure and 4084 more...
-
Arbitrary words
A young boy's quest to find a paradigm of "the perfect word."
preponderating, extol, antiquated, aphorism, corollary, blithe, acclivity, abnegate, inasmuch as, averred, cessation, bilious and 7 more...
PossibleUnderscore 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 Aug 3, 2009