black bile
English
Etymology
Translating (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Latin ātra bīlis, (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Ancient Greek μελαγχολία (melankholía).
Noun
- One of the four humours of ancient and mediaeval physiology, that was believed to be secreted by the kidneys and spleen and to cause melancholy and sadness when present in excess.
- 2011, Siddhartha Mukherjee, The Emperor of all Maladies, Fourth Estate 2011, p. 49:
- The problem with treating cancer surgically, Galen suggested, was that black bile was everywhere, as inevitable and pervasive as any fluid.
- 2011, Siddhartha Mukherjee, The Emperor of all Maladies, Fourth Estate 2011, p. 49:
Synonyms
- atrabile (Latin: ātra bīlis)
- melancholy
Translations
one of the four humours
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