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

“But the constant lecturing on the perils of dogged bowels—not quite an equitable trade, is it?”

From Literature

The debate ignited when Coco Gauff was caught on camera repeatedly smashing her racquet in the bowels of the stadium following her defeat in the Melbourne quarter-finals on Tuesday.

From Barron's

Itchy skin, rashes, an ear infection and bowel troubles sent us to the vet every few weeks.

From The Wall Street Journal

The Australian Open has shown footage from the players' zone in the bowels of Rod Laver Arena - which includes the gym, warm-up area and the corridor from the locker room - since 2019.

From BBC

Examples include women being invited for a mammogram to look for breast cancer or the at-home bowel cancer test posted to the home of everyone over the age of 50, every two years.

From BBC

Related Words

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