jaundiced

The adjective jaundiced, which was introduced into English in the mid-17th century, is the direct result of the older noun jaundice. The physical condition called jaundice involves a yellowish coloring of the skin, tissues, and body fluids caused by the presence of coloring matter from bile. In ages past, people believed that a hostile, irritable temperament indicated an excess of bile in one's body. This belief not only led to the extended use of jaundiced, but it also resulted in a similar use of the adjective bilious, which can mean either "ill-tempered" or "marked by or suffering from liver dysfunction and especially excessive secretion of bile."