Definition

Noun: * A bodily fluid or humor (one of the four humors) in ancient and medieval physiology and medicine, believed to be secreted by the spleen or kidneys. An excess of black bile was thought to cause a melancholic or sad temperament, depression, and related physical ailments.

Usage

• The term is primarily used in historical, literary, or academic contexts to discuss pre-modern theories of medicine, psychology, and personality.
• It is a key concept in the ancient theory of the four humors (blood, phlegm, yellow bile, black bile), which explained health, emotion, and character.

Examples

• In medieval medicine, an imbalance of black bile was thought to be the root cause of melancholy.
• The character's depressive tendencies were attributed by the Elizabethan audience to an excess of black bile.
• The theory of the four humors, including black bile, dominated Western medical thought for centuries.

Advanced Usage

• "Black bile" as a metaphor: In modern literary analysis, "black bile" can be used metaphorically to represent deep sadness, depression, or a brooding temperament, alluding to its historical meaning.
  • A sense of black bile seemed to permeate his later poetry.

Variants and Related Words

• Melancholy (noun/adjective): The state or condition historically caused by black bile; sadness, pensiveness, or depression. This is the direct modern descendant of the concept.
• Melancholic (adjective/noun): Characterized by or prone to melancholy; a person with a melancholic temperament.
• Humoral (adjective): Relating to the four bodily humors (e.g., humoral theory).

Synonyms

• Melancholy (in its historical, causative sense)
• Atrabiliousness (a formal, archaic synonym directly meaning "black bile condition")

Notes on Different Meanings

• The term has no significant modern medical or scientific meaning. Its use is almost entirely historical or figurative.
• It should not be confused with any actual modern bodily fluid or secretion.

Related Idioms/Phrases

• "In a melancholic humor": This phrase stems directly from the humoral theory, indicating a state of sadness attributed to black bile.
• "Bile" (on its own): In modern usage, "bile" often means anger or bitterness (related to yellow bile/choler), which is a different humor from black bile. Context is crucial for distinguishing them.

Noun

1. a humor that was once believed to be secreted by the kidneys or spleen and to cause sadness and melancholy