Definition of "bilirubin" [bil•i•ru•bin]

• A reddish-yellow bile pigment, C33H36N4O6, derived from the degradation of heme. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Yep, my sources for The Re/Search Guide to Bodily Fluids said it was yellow bilirubin, which turns brown -- so if bilirubin is a precursor to brown stercobilin, that all makes sense."
• ""His bilirubin is not that elevated, and in another hour or so, we'll be coming back to the room, they said.""
• "When they die, they release a pigment called bilirubin, which is taken up by the liver and metabolized into a water-soluble substance that is excreted in bile."