Definition of BILIRUBIN

bilirubin

Plural: bilirubins

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
  • A bile pigment that is a product of the breakdown of the heme portion of hemoglobin (which occurs within macrophages as they digest red blood cells), and which is responsible for the yellowish color seen in bruises. Extremely high levels of bilirubin may cause jaundice.

Origin / Etymology

From international scientific vocabulary, from German Bilirubin. By surface analysis, bili- + rub- + -in. The German word was naturalized into other languages as international scientific vocabulary (e.g., bilirubin, bilirubine, bilirubina).

Scrabble Score: 13

bilirubin: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
bilirubin: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
bilirubin: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 18

bilirubin: valid Words With Friends Word