jaundice

Imagine a newborn baby with slightly yellow skin. That is one common sign of jaundice, but the word is not only used for babies. It is a condition in which bilirubin builds up in the body, causing the skin and the whites of the eyes to look yellow. The word is also used in a figurative way to describe a biased or cynical outlook, as if someone sees everything in a negative light. If a person is always suspicious or unfairly negative, you might say they have a "jaundiced eye." The word comes from the Old French jaunisse, meaning yellowishness. So this word can describe either a medical problem or a sour way of looking at things.

Jaundice is a yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes caused by an excess of bilirubin in the blood. Bilirubin is a yellowish pigment produced when red blood cells break down. Normally, the liver processes bilirubin and removes it from the body. However, if the liver isn't functioning properly—due to conditions like hepatitis, cirrhosis, or even certain types of cancer—bilirubin can build up, leading to the characteristic yellow hue. While often associated with newborns (where it is usually temporary), jaundice in adults is typically a sign of an underlying medical problem. Symptoms beyond the yellowing can include dark urine, pale stools, and intense itching.

But jaundice also has a secondary meaning. For centuries, writers have used "jaundice" metaphorically to describe a prejudiced, cynical, or biased viewpoint. To see something "through jaundiced eyes" means to view it with negativity, suspicion, or distortion. It is as if the world appears tinted yellow by one's own negative feelings or old bitterness. In literary use, the word suggests a mind colored by ill will or unfair judgment. So, whether it describes a medical symptom or a sour outlook, jaundice points to something being "off color" in either a physical or emotional sense.