liver

Meanings

Noun

• A large organ in the body that stores and metabolizes nutrients, destroys toxins and produces bile. It is responsible for thousands of biochemical reactions.
• This organ, as taken from animals used as food.
• A dark brown colour, tinted with red and gray, like the colour of liver.
• Someone who lives (usually in a specified way).

Adjective

• Of the colour of liver (dark brown, tinted with red and gray).
• Comparative form or more of live

Origin

• From Middle English lyvere, lyver, from Old English lifer, from Proto-Germanic *librō, from Proto-Indo-European *leyp-, from Proto-Indo-European *ley-. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Lieuwer, West Frisian lever, Dutch lever, German Leber, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish lever (the last three from Old Norse lifr). Related to live.
• From Middle English lyvere, livere, equivalent to live + -er.
• live + --er.