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gallstones

/ˈɡɔːlstəʊnz/ /ˈɡɔːlstəns/

Meanings
noun
A small, hard object, in the shape of a pebble, that sometimes forms in the gallbladder or bile duct; composed of cholesterol, bile pigments and calcium salts.

Examples :

"My grandmother had severe stomach pain and the doctor discovered she had gallstones, which were causing her discomfort. "
medicine disease body organ anatomy

Related Words

Illustration stomach

stomach noun

/ˈstʌmək/

An organ in animals that stores food in the process of digestion.

"My stomach rumbled loudly during lunch break; I was very hungry. "

Illustration calcium

calcium noun

/ˈkælsi.əm/

The chemical element (Symbol Ca), with an atomic number 20. It is a soft, silvery-white alkaline earth metal which occurs naturally as carbonate in limestone and as silicate in many rocks.

"My doctor recommended I take a calcium supplement to strengthen my bones. "

Illustration grandmother

grandmother noun

/ˈɡɹæn(d)ˌmʌðə(r)/ /ˈɡɹæn(d)ˌmʌðɚ/

A mother of someone's parent.

"My grandmother taught me how to bake cookies when I was a child. "

Illustration discomfort

discomfort noun

/dɪsˈkʌmfət/ /dɪsˈkʌmfɚt/

Mental or bodily distress.

"My stomachache caused me a lot of discomfort during the test. "

Illustration object

object noun

/ˈɒb.d͡ʒɛkt/ /ˈɑb.d͡ʒɛkt/

A thing that has physical existence.

"The student's favorite object in her classroom was a colorful globe. "

Illustration gallbladder

gallbladder noun

/ˈɡɔlˌblædər/ /ˈɡɑlˌblædər/

A pear-shaped organ that stores bile from the liver, until the body needs it for the digestion and absorption of fats in the duodenum.

"My aunt's gallbladder needed surgery because it wasn't releasing bile properly, preventing her from digesting fatty foods effectively. "

Illustration cholesterol

cholesterol noun

/kəˈlɛstəɹɒl/

A sterol lipid synthesized by the liver and transported in the bloodstream to the membranes of all animal cells; it plays a central role in many biochemical processes and, as a lipoprotein that coats the walls of blood vessels, is associated with cardiovascular disease.

"High cholesterol levels can increase a person's risk of heart problems. "

Illustration composed

composed verb

/kəmˈpəʊzd/ /kəmˈpoʊzd/

To make something by merging parts.

"The editor composed a historical journal from many individual letters."

Illustration sometimes

sometimes adjective

/ˈsʌmtaɪmz/

Former; sometime.

"My sometimes neighbor, a retired teacher, still visits the school occasionally. "

Illustration pigments

pigments noun

/ˈpɪɡmənts/

Any color in plant or animal cells

"The colors of autumn leaves come from different pigments in the tree cells as the green chlorophyll fades. "

Illustration causing

causing verb

/ˈkɔzɪŋ/ /ˈkɑzɪŋ/

To set off an event or action.

"The lightning caused thunder."

Illustration discovered

discovered verb

/dɪsˈkʌvəd/ /dɪsˈkʌvɚd/

To find or learn something for the first time.

"Turning the corner, I discovered a lovely little shop. I discovered that they sold widgets."