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

• 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

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

Known to his social media followers as Pen y Fan Dan, Daniel took on the challenge in April in memory of his wife Rita, who died from bowel cancer.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

She had been struggling with a bad back, tiredness and blood in her bowel movements.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

Whenever I ate these worms, whose skins were like those of miniature porcupines, my stomach would tighten in severe cramps, and I would have no bowel movement for days.

From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane

Related Words

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