Hepatic

Pronunciation

• IPA: /hɛˈpætɪk/
• Rhymes: -ætɪk
• Hyphenation: he + pat + ic

Origin

From Old French hepatique, from Late Latin hepaticus, from Ancient Greek ἡπατικός (hēpatikos, "of the liver"), from ἧπαρ (hēpar, "liver").

Full definition of hepatic

Noun

1. Any compound that acts on the liver.
2. A liverwort (kind of plant)
• Schuster Hepaticae V|viiiThere is now such an immense "microliterature" on hepatics that, beyond a certain point I have given up trying to integrate (and evaluate) every minor paper published—especially narrowly floristic papers.

Derived terms

• hepaticology

Adjective

1. Of or relating to the liver.
2. Acting on or occurring in the liver.
3. Of a deep brownish-red color like that of liver.
• 1842, Dr. Lewis Feuchtwanger, Mineralogical Notices, Polyhydrite, a silicate of oxide of iron from Breitenbrun, Saxony, is of a hepatic color, vitreous lustre and opaque
• 1872, Remarks on Longevity, In fact bis weakness was for alcoholic stimulants. Hence his liver was carefully examined. It was not of the usual hepatic color ; in this case it presented a deep purple-black
• 1893, The Wilder quarter-century book: a collection of original papers, Among the most striking ot the internal modifications is the gradual change of the liver from the characteristic hepatic color to a bright green.

Related terms

• hepatectomy
• hepatica
• hepatitis
• intrahepatic
• posthepatic
• prehepatic

Anagrams

• aphetic