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gut

[ guht ]

/ gʌt /

noun

the alimentary canal, especially between the pylorus and the anus, or some portion of it.Compare foregut, midgut, hindgut.

guts,

the bowels or entrails.
Informal. courage and fortitude; nerve; determination; stamina: Climbing that cliff takes a lot of guts.
the inner working parts of a machine or device: The mechanic had the guts of the refrigerator laid out on the kitchen floor.

the belly; stomach; abdomen.

the substance forming the case of the intestine; intestinal tissue or fiber: sheep's gut.

a preparation of the intestines of an animal, used for various purposes, as for violin strings, tennis rackets, or fishing lines.

the silken substance taken from a silkworm killed when about to spin its cocoon, used in making snells for fishhooks.

a narrow passage, as a channel of water or a defile between hills.

Slang. a gut course.

verb (used with object), gut·ted, gut·ting.

to take out the guts or entrails of; disembowel.

to destroy the interior of: Fire gutted the building.

to plunder (a house, city, etc.) of contents: Invaders gutted the village.

to remove the vital or essential parts from: The prisoner's letters were gutted by heavy censorship.

adjective

Informal.

basic or essential: to discuss the gut issues.
based on instincts or emotions: a gut reaction; gut decisions.

QUIZZES

DON’T VACILLATE! VANQUISH THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!

It’d be a real faux pas to miss this quiz on the words from August 3–9, 2020!

Question 1 of 7

What does “vacillate” mean?

to waver in mind or opinion; be indecisive or irresolute.

to cause to be empty or unoccupied.

to assent tacitly; agree; consent.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms for gut

spill one's guts, Slang. to tell all; lay oneself bare: the famous star spills his guts in his autobiography.

Origin of gut

before 1000; Middle English gut, guttes (plural), Old English guttas (plural), akin to gēotan to pour

SYNONYMS FOR gut

2b pluck.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR gut ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM gut

gutlike, adjectiveun·gut·ted, adjective

Words nearby gut

Gustavus V, Gustavus VI, gusto, Guston, gusty, gut, gutbucket, gut check, gut course, Gutenberg, Gutenberg Bible

Definition for gut (2 of 2)

GUT

Physics.

grand unification theory.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for gut

Since coffee can irritate the gut, she suggests opting for herbal tea instead.
5 Hangover Cures to Save You After a Few Too Many|DailyBurn|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Koenig has not been a sterile, objective narrator; she has openly voiced her biases, concerns, and gut feelings all along.
Adnan Killed Her! No, Jay Did It! Serial’s Uncertain, True-to-Reality End|Emily Shire|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Now the gut was fueled not by Romanée-Conti and Château d'Yquem but by brandy--and a hell of a lot of it.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And while all he says he has spoken to still believe the interrogations saved lives, he said the report was a punch in the gut.
CIA Interrogation Chief: ‘Rectal Feeding,’ Broken Limbs Are News to Me|Kimberly Dozier|December 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST

But only once did a work of art really punch me in the gut—and it was as unsalable as they come.
Sneer and Clothing in Miami: Inside The $3 Billion Woodstock of Contemporary Art|Jay Michaelson|December 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In intestinal indigestion the gut is nearly always inflated with gas, which in its movement produces rumbling noises.
A System of Practical Medicine By American Authors, Vol. II|Various
It didn't stop for hours, and such a soft sound, it burned into my gut and my tongue deeper than any animal wailing would.
The Jewels of Aptor|Samuel R. Delany
In some cases the gut was merely contused by lateral contact of the passing bullet.
Surgical Experiences in South Africa, 1899-1900|George Henry Makins
There was over-many Paythans for our convaynience in the gut, an' begad they called thimselves a Reserve—bein' impident by nature!
Soldiers Three|Rudyard Kipling
The food, which is made into a bolus, is moved down to the middle region of the gut, and there digestion takes place.
The Origin of Vertebrates|Walter Holbrook Gaskell

British Dictionary definitions for gut (1 of 2)

gut

/ (ɡʌt) /

noun

the lower part of the alimentary canal; intestine
the entire alimentary canalRelated adjective: visceral

(often plural) the bowels or entrails, esp of an animal

slang the belly; paunch

See catgut

a silky fibrous substance extracted from silkworms, used in the manufacture of fishing tackle

a narrow channel or passage

(plural) informal courage, willpower, or daring; forcefulness

(plural) informal the essential partthe guts of a problem

bust a gut informal to make an intense effort

have someone's guts for garters informal to be extremely angry with someone

hate a person's guts informal to dislike a person very strongly

sweat one's guts out or work one's guts out informal to work very hard