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black bile
noun
: the one of the four humors (see humor entry 1 sense 2c) in ancient and medieval physiology that was believed to be cold and dry and to cause melancholy and cowardice
Examples of black bile in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Samantha barfs up some black bile, and Zoe’s sycophants eat her skin at a dinner party in a bit that briefly frames her as a Christ figure but doesn’t go anywhere.
—Katie Rife, IndieWire, 12 Sep. 2024
The theory contends that four fluids — blood, choler (yellow bile), phlegm and black bile — make up the body and must maintain balance for good health.
—Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 5 Apr. 2023
After all, black bile, it was believed, caused not only sadness, but also lovesickness, irrational behavior, and uncontrolled physical impulses.
—Mina Seçkin, refinery29.com, 16 Nov. 2021
Hippocrates, the Greek physician who is sometimes called the father of medicine, wrote in the fifth century B.C.E. that the body has four humors—phlegm, yellow bile, black bile, and blood—which correspond to the hot, cold, wet, and dry weather of the Mediterranean.
—Lorraine Boissoneault, The New Yorker, 30 July 2022
See all Example Sentences for black bile
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'black bile.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1634, in the meaning defined above
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Cite this Entry
“Black bile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/black%20bile. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Medical Definition
black bile
noun
: the one of the four humors (see humor sense 2) in ancient and medieval physiology that was believed to be cold and dry and to cause melancholy and cowardice
More from Merriam-Webster on black bile
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about black bile
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