gallbladder
noun
gall·blad·der
ˈgȯl-ˌbla-dər
plural gallbladders
: a membranous muscular sac in which bile from the liver is concentrated and stored before being passed to the intestinal duodenum
After a meal, the gallbladder contracts and injects several tablespoons of bile into the small intestines, where the detergent-like bile salts break up fats.—David Schardt
For reasons not yet entirely clear, many people, women more often than men, are predisposed to forming stones in their gallbladder.—Sherwin B. Nuland
Cite this Entry
“Gallbladder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gallbladder. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.
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