bowel
Americannoun
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Anatomy.
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Usually bowels. the intestine.
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a part of the intestine.
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bowels,
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the inward or interior parts.
the bowels of the earth.
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Archaic. feelings of pity or compassion.
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verb (used with object)
noun
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an intestine, esp the large intestine in man
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(plural) innards; entrails
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(plural) the deep or innermost part (esp in the phrase the bowels of the earth )
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archaic (plural) the emotions, esp of pity or sympathy
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of bowel
1250–1300; Middle English b ( o ) uel < Old French < Latin botellus little sausage ( bot ( ulus ) sausage + -ellus -elle )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Several Manhattan private-school parents said another key to getting extra time—and unlimited bathroom breaks—is enlisting a gastroenterologist to diagnose inflammatory bowel disease or irritable bowel syndrome.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
Persistent abdominal pain, blood in the stool, unexplained weight loss, and lasting changes in bowel habits should not be ignored, particularly in younger adults who may assume they are too young to develop the disease.
From Science Daily • May 15, 2026
Geeta said in the years following her injury she was "quite housebound to avoid the fear and the shame that comes with bowel incontinence".
From BBC • May 13, 2026
Nicky Edwards, clinical nurse specialist in pelvic health and the functional bowel service at Cardiff and Vale health board, said the service saw predominantly white women, meaning others could be suffering in silence.
From BBC • May 13, 2026
Sometime before the middle of December, the baby, Plum, stopped having bowel movements.
From "Sula" by Toni Morrison
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
