eviscerate

American  

[ih-vis-uh-reyt, ih-vis-er-it, -uh-reyt] / ɪˈvɪs əˌreɪt, ɪˈvɪs ər ɪt, -əˌreɪt /

verb (used with object)

eviscerates, present (3rd person singular) eviscerated, past participle, past eviscerating present participle

1. to remove the entrails from; disembowel.

   to eviscerate a chicken.

2. to deprive of vital or essential parts.

   The censors eviscerated the book to make it inoffensive to the leaders of the party.

3. Surgery. to remove the contents of (a body organ).

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eviscerate British  

/ ɪˈvɪsəˌreɪt /

verb

1. (tr) to remove the internal organs of; disembowel

2. (tr) to deprive of meaning or significance

3. (tr) surgery to remove the contents of (the eyeball or other organ)

4. (intr) surgery (of the viscera) to protrude through a weakened abdominal incision after an operation

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adjective

1. having been disembowelled

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• eviscerator
  noun
• evisceration
  noun

Conjugated Forms

Present

• have eviscerated
  perfect
• has eviscerated
  perfect 3rd person singular
• are eviscerating
  progressive
• am eviscerating
  progressive 1st person singular
• has been eviscerating
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• eviscerating
  participle
• is eviscerating
  progressive 3rd person singular
• have been eviscerating
  perfect progressive
• eviscerates
  singular 3rd person

Past

• had eviscerated
  perfect
• was eviscerating
  progressive singular
• were eviscerating
  progressive plural
• had been eviscerating
  perfect progressive
• eviscerated
  participle
• eviscerated
  simple

Future

• will eviscerate
  simple
• will have eviscerated
  perfect
• will have been eviscerating
  perfect progressive
• will be eviscerating
  progressive

Etymology

Origin of eviscerate

First recorded in 1600–10; from Latin ēviscerātus, past participle of ēviscerāre “to deprive of entrails, tear to pieces,” equivalent to ē- e- ¹ + viscer(a) viscera + -ātus -ate ¹

Explanation

Eviscerate is not a pretty word. To eviscerate can mean to remove the entrails of a creature. On the Discovery Channel you can watch a vulture eviscerate or take out the guts of a dead animal. The word eviscerate comes from the Latin eviscerare, meaning "to disembowel." It's not strictly used in such a gruesome sense though. Sure, you can eviscerate a chicken by gutting its insides, but eviscerate can also be used to describe when you deprive something of its most important quality. If you take away the disco ball, it could eviscerate the spirit of your dance party.