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.

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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

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bowel Scientific  

/ bou′əl /

1. The intestine.

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Other Word Forms

Derived 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

"This led the surgeon to take out the segment of bowel that did not have the cancer in it," said the report.

From BBC • May 24, 2026

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

Rhi said within 24 hours of having her son she was experiencing bowel incontinence, but her mental health also spiralled and she was put under the care of the community mental health team.

From BBC • May 13, 2026

In case of an inmate bowel movement that yielded some “prize,” he was to call a sergeant.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover

Related Words

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