Definition

A small, hard piece that forms in the gallbladder or bile ducts, often made of cholesterol and other substances.

Example

The doctor found a gallstone during the ultrasound examination.

Conversation

I heard that my uncle had to get surgery for a gallstone.

Oh no, that sounds serious! What happened?

He was in a lot of pain because the gallstone was blocking something.

Yikes, I hope he recovers quickly from the surgery.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Gallstone → The word is formed from "gall" (from Old English *gealla*, meaning bile) and "stone" (from Old English *stan*, meaning a hard substance). A gallstone is a hard substance that forms in the bile, which is produced by the gallbladder.

Memory Tip

Think of 'bile' ('gall') and a 'hard substance' ('stone') to remember that a gallstone is a hard deposit that forms in the bile.

Visually Confused Words