jaundice
n. a condition associated with a variety of disorders of the liver, gallbladder, and blood and marked by the deposition of bile pigments in the skin, eye surfaces, and excrement. The pigment, which is usually first observed in discoloration of the normally white areas of the eyes, is produced as bilirubin, a breakdown product of the hemoglobin of red blood cells. Jaundice is associated with liver infections but may also occur as an adverse reaction to certain drugs. It is also a causative factor in neurological birth defects (see kernicterus). Also called icterus.