Meaning & use
liver
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A large organ in the body that cleans the blood and helps with digestion.
Grammar: Can be used with 'a' or in the plural: a liver, the livers.
Patterns
- the liver
- a liver
- liver disease
The liver removes toxins from the blood.
He was diagnosed with a liver condition.
The liver produces bile to help digest food.
noununcountable
The liver of an animal eaten as food.
Grammar: No plural when referring to the food: We had liver for dinner.
Patterns
- eat liver
- cooked liver
- liver and onions
She cooked liver and onions for dinner.
Liver is a good source of iron.
Many people find the taste of liver too strong.
Word forms
| plural | livers |
|---|
Common combinations
- liver disease
- Excessive alcohol can lead to liver disease.
- liver transplant
- He is waiting for a liver transplant.
- liver function
- The doctor checked her liver function with a blood test.
- fried liver
- Fried liver is a traditional dish in some regions.
- liver and onions
- My grandmother used to make liver and onions.
Synonyms and how they differ
- hepatic
- An adjective meaning 'relating to the liver', not a noun; used in medical contexts.
Word family
- liverish adjective
- Feeling slightly unwell, as if from a liver problem; also means irritable.
- livery noun
- A special uniform or color scheme, not related to the organ.
Commonly confused: liver or lever?
liver vs lever
A bar used to lift things; pronounced differently and not related to the body.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence:
Choose one answer.
'Blood' is uncountable, so it has no plural form. Option 2 uses 'bloods' incorrectly; option 3 uses singular 'toxin' where plural is needed; option 4 repeats the error with 'bloods'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “liver”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.