bowel

American  

[bou-uhl, boul] / ˈbaʊ əl, baʊl /

noun

1. Anatomy.

   1. Usually bowels. the intestine.

   2. a part of the intestine.

2. bowels,

   1. the inward or interior parts.

      the bowels of the earth.

   2. Archaic. feelings of pity or compassion.

---

verb (used with object)

boweled, boweling, bowelled, bowelling

1. to disembowel.

bowel British  

/ ˈbaʊəl /

noun

1. an intestine, esp the large intestine in man

2. (plural) innards; entrails

3. (plural) the deep or innermost part (esp in the phrase the bowels of the earth )

4. archaic (plural) the emotions, esp of pity or sympathy

---

bowel Scientific  

/ bou′əl /

1. The intestine.

---

Other Word Forms

• bowelless adjective

Etymology

Origin of bowel

1250–1300; Middle English b ( o ) uel < Old French < Latin botellus little sausage ( bot ( ulus ) sausage + -ellus -elle )

Example Sentences

Breast, prostate, lung and bowel cancers account for 54% of new cancer cases in Northern Ireland.

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026

Her symptoms range from abdominal cramping and severe bloating to migraines, fatigue, as well as bladder and bowel problems.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

When disease-causing bacteria enter the bloodstream, they may play a role in serious conditions such as diabetes, rheumatic disease, arthritis, cardiovascular disease, chronic inflammatory bowel disease, and even Alzheimer's disease.

From Science Daily • Apr. 13, 2026

A woman says doctors mistook her endometriosis for irritable bowel syndrome, as new figures show diagnosis delays are getting longer.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

Tessie who secretly monitored her children’s bowel movements and so of course knew exactly how greasy American foods could disrupt their digestion.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

Related Words

• decimate
• empty
• eviscerate
• loot
• ransack
• ravage