cod-liver oil

noun

cod-liv·​er oil
: an oil obtained from the liver of the cod and closely related fishes and used as a source of vitamins A and D

Examples of cod-liver oil in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web And don’t turn your nose up at a spoonful of good old-fashioned cod-liver oil, either. Kathleen Squires, WSJ, 28 Jan. 2022 Similar products followed, but most people used homemade recipes with affordable ingredients such as canned milk and Karo syrup, and supplemented babies’ diets with orange juice and cod-liver oil to prevent scurvy and rickets. Alice Callahan, Smithsonian, 25 Oct. 2019 The scientists gave patients scheduled for knee-replacement surgery either 1,000 milligrams of cod-liver oil or placebo. Houston Chronicle, 1 July 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cod-liver oil.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1754, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cod-liver oil was in 1754

Dictionary Entries Near cod-liver oil

Cite this Entry

“Cod-liver oil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cod-liver%20oil. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

cod-liver oil

noun
: an oil obtained from the liver of the cod and closely related fishes and used as a source of vitamins A and D

Medical Definition

cod-liver oil

noun
: a pale yellow fatty oil obtained from the liver of the cod (Gadus morhua) and related fishes and used in medicine (as in the prophylaxis of rickets) chiefly as a source of vitamins A and D compare fish-liver oil

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