# liver

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈlɪvə/ · frequency rank #5,337

## Definitions
1. A large organ in the body that stores and metabolizes nutrients, destroys toxins and produces bile. It is responsible for thousands of biochemical reactions.
2. This organ, as taken from animals used as food.
3. A dark brown colour, tinted with red and gray, like the colour of liver.
4. Any of various chemical compounds—particularly sulfides—thought to resemble livers in color.

## Etymology
From Middle English lyvere, lyver, from Old English lifer (“liver”), from Proto-West Germanic *libru, from Proto-Germanic *librō, from Proto-Indo-European *leyp- (“to smear, smudge, stick”), from Proto-Indo-European *ley- (“to be slimy, be sticky, glide”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Líeuwer, Lieuwer (“liver”), West Frisian lever (“liver”), Dutch lever (“liver”), German Leber (“liver”), Danish, Norwegian and Swedish lever (“liver”) (the last three from Old Norse lifr (“liver”)). Related to live.

## Easily confused with
- **love** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/liver-vs-love)
- **Livy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/liver-vs-livy)
- **lives** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/liver-vs-lives)
- **lower** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/liver-vs-lower)
- **loved** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/liver-vs-loved)
- **loves** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/liver-vs-loves)
- **lover** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/liver-vs-lover)
- **loser** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/liver-vs-loser)
- **livin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/liver-vs-livin)
- **loner** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/liver-vs-loner)
- **livid** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/liver-vs-livid)
- **lovey** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/liver-vs-lovey)
- **Livia** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/liver-vs-livia)
- **luger** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/liver-vs-luger)
- **lovers** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/liver-vs-lovers)
- **livery** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/liver-vs-livery)
- **Livers** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/liver-vs-livers)
- **lie** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lie-vs-liver)
- **Liv** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/liv-vs-liver)
- **like** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/like-vs-liver)

## Common misspellings (7)
`ilver`, `lievr`, `liverr`, `livre`, `livver`, `lliver`, `lvier`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/liver