Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A reddish-yellow bile pigment, C33H36N4O6, derived from the degradation of heme.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A red bile-pigment, the chief coloring matter of human bile and that of carnivorous animals, to which the formula C16H18N2O3 has been given.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Physiol.) A reddish yellow pigment present in human bile, and in that from carnivorous and herbivorous animals; the normal biliary pigment.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun biochemistry A bile pigment that is product of the breakdown of the heme portion of hemoglobin. This happens within macrophages as they digest red blood cells. Extremely high levels of bilirubin cause jaundice.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun an orange-yellow pigment in the bile that forms as a product of hemoglobin; excess amounts in the blood produce the yellow appearance observed in jaundice

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Latin bīlis, bile + ruber, red; see reudh- in Indo-European roots + –in.]

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Examples

  • Yep, my sources for The Re/Search Guide to Bodily Fluids said it was yellow bilirubin, which turns brown -- so if bilirubin is a precursor to brown stercobilin, that all makes sense.

    Science Question from a Toddler: Why is poop brown? Boing Boing 2009

  • "His bilirubin is not that elevated, and in another hour or so, we'll be coming back to the room, they said."

    MORE FROM GINNY BATES: LESBIANS HAVING BABIES Maggie Jochild 2007

  • When they die, they release a pigment called bilirubin, which is taken up by the liver and metabolized into a water-soluble substance that is excreted in bile.

    DR. SANJIV CHOPRA’S LIVER BOOK Sanjiv Chopra 2001

  • These include the pigments in the bile, of which bilirubin is the best characterized to date.

    Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1930 - Presentation Speech 1966

  • Biliverdin breaks down to bilirubin, which is yellow.

    Science Question from a Toddler: Why is poop brown? Boing Boing 2009

  • After the birth, your baby has a normal excess of red blood cells that break down into a substance called bilirubin, which she excretes in her bowel movements.

    Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn Penny Simkin 2010

  • After the birth, your baby has a normal excess of red blood cells that break down into a substance called bilirubin, which she excretes in her bowel movements.

    Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn Penny Simkin 2010

  • He explains that a complex series of events occurs in late pregnancy to prepare the baby to survive outside the womb: The fetus acquires fat needed to maintain body temperature; the liver matures enough to eliminate a toxin called bilirubin from the body; and the lungs get ready to exchange oxygen as soon as the umbilical cord is clamped.

    New Research Shows Why Every Week of Pregnancy Counts 2008

  • ‘Well, to give you the proper textbook definition: jaundice occurs when there is a breakdown of red blood cells and you get a build-up of a yellow pigment called bilirubin.’

    A Special Relationship Douglas Kennedy 2003

  • ‘Well, to give you the proper textbook definition: jaundice occurs when there is a breakdown of red blood cells and you get a build-up of a yellow pigment called bilirubin.’

    A Special Relationship Douglas Kennedy 2003

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