Bilirubin
/ˌbɪlɪˈruːbɪn/noun
A yellow-orange pigment formed when hemoglobin is broken down and excreted in bile.
Did you know?Bilirubin’s color once helped physicians recognize jaundice, a condition historically associated with yellow skin, yellow eyes, and the diagnostic power of bodily fluids.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Indo-European
PIE
*reudh-
“Red; the reconstructed root behind Latin ruber.”
Classical Latin
Latin
bilis
“Bile, the bitter yellow-green digestive fluid.”
Classical Latin
Latin
ruber
“Red or reddish-colored.”
19th Century
Scientific Latin/German
bilirubin
“A scientific compound formed from bilis, “bile,” and ruber, “red,” with the chemical suffix -in.”
Modern English
English
bilirubin
“The bile pigment produced by the breakdown of hemoglobin.”