Chyle
/kaɪl/noun
A milky fluid formed in the small intestine during digestion and carried by the lymphatic system.
Did you know?The word comes from Greek khylos, meaning a bodily fluid or juice, and it survives in medical language alongside its near-twin chymus, both tied to the ancient idea of hidden bodily ‘juices.’
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
khylos (χυλός)
“Juice, sap, or bodily fluid”
Late Latin
Latin
chylus
“Digestive fluid or juice”
Middle English
English
chile
“A milky digestive fluid”
16th Century
English
chyle
“A milky fluid formed during digestion”
Modern English
English
chyle
“A milky fluid absorbed from the intestines into the lymphatic system”