cod-liver oil, a pale-yellow, partially destearinated fatty oil extracted from the fresh livers of Gadus morhua and other fish of the family Gadidae. A rich source of fat-soluble vitamins A and D, it is useful in the treatment of nutritional deficiency of those vitamins. The oil must be stored in a cool, dark place, or it becomes rancid. See also osteomalacia, rickets, tetany.
