Noun: black bile blak bI(-u)l
- A humour that was once believed to be secreted by the kidneys or spleen and to cause sadness and melancholy
"In ancient medicine, an excess of black bile was thought to cause depression";
- melancholy [archaic]
Type of: bodily fluid, body fluid, humor [US], humour [Brit, Cdn], liquid body substance
Encyclopedia: Black bile