liver

English Online Dictionary. What means liver‎? What does liver mean?

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English lyvere, lyver, from Old English lifer (“liver”), from Proto-West Germanic *libru, from Proto-Germanic *librō, from Proto-Indo-European *leyp- (“to smear, smudge, stick”), from Proto-Indo-European *ley- (“to be slimy, be sticky, glide”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Líeuwer, Lieuwer (“liver”), West Frisian lever (“liver”), Dutch lever (“liver”), German Leber (“liver”), Danish, Norwegian and Swedish lever (“liver”) (the last three from Old Norse lifr (“liver”)). Related to live.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈlɪvə/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈlɪvɚ/
• Rhymes: -ɪvə(ɹ)
• Hyphenation: liv‧er

Noun

liver (countable and uncountable, plural livers)

1. (anatomy) A large organ in the body that stores and metabolizes nutrients, destroys toxins and produces bile. It is responsible for thousands of biochemical reactions.

2. (countable, uncountable) This organ, as taken from animals used as food.
3. A dark brown colour, tinted with red and gray, like the colour of liver.

4. (obsolete chemistry) Any of various chemical compounds—particularly sulfides—thought to resemble livers in color.

Usage notes

• The noun is often used attributively to modify other words. Used in this way, it frequently means "concerning the liver", "intended for the liver" or "made of liver" .

Derived terms

Translations

Adjective

liver (not comparable)

1. Of the colour of liver (dark brown, tinted with red and gray).

Translations

See also

• detoxification
• fascioliasis
• gout
• jaundice
• Appendix:Colors
• foie gras
• heparin
• hepatic

Etymology 2

From Middle English lyvere, livere, equivalent to live +‎ -er.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlɪvə(ɹ)/
• Rhymes: -ɪvə(ɹ)

Noun

liver (plural livers)

1. (uncommon) Someone who lives (usually in a specified way).
   1. Someone who is alive: one of the living.
      • 1599, Greene, Alphonsus, Wks. (Rtldg.), page 234:

        Thou king of heaven, which […] Dost see the secret of each livers heart.

   2. Someone who lives in a particular place; an inhabitant, a dweller.
      • 1677, Cary, Chronol., II, ii, III, xiv, 252:

        They must instantly have been detected by the present Livers that were upon the place.

Derived terms

Translations

Etymology 3

From live (adjective) +‎ -(e)r.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlaɪvə(ɹ)/
• Rhymes: -aɪvə(ɹ)

Adjective

liver

2. comparative form of live: more live

See also

• liver bird (etymologically unrelated)

Further reading

• liver on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• Elvir, ervil, levir, livre, rivel, viler

Breton

Noun

liver m

1. painter

Middle English

Etymology 1

Noun

liver

1. Alternative form of lyvere (“liver”)

Etymology 2

Noun

liver

1. Alternative form of lyvere (“living being”)

Etymology 3

Verb

liver

1. Alternative form of lyveren

Norwegian Nynorsk

Verb

liver

1. (non-standard since 1917) present of liva