gut

¹ American  

[guht] / gʌt /

noun

1. the alimentary canal, especially between the pylorus and the anus, or some portion of it.

2. guts,

   1. bowels or entrails.

   2. Informal. courage and fortitude; nerve; determination; stamina.

      Climbing that cliff takes a lot of guts.

   3. the inner working parts of a machine or device.

      The mechanic had the guts of the refrigerator laid out on the kitchen floor.

3. the belly; stomach; abdomen.

4. the substance forming the case of the intestine; intestinal tissue or fiber.

   sheep's gut.

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

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

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

8. Slang. Also gut course snap course.

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verb (used with object)

gutted, gutting

1. to take out the guts or entrails of; disembowel.

2. to destroy the interior of.

   Fire gutted the building.

3. to plunder (a house, city, etc.) of contents.

   Invaders gutted the village.

4. to remove the vital or essential parts from.

   The prisoner's letters were gutted by heavy censorship.

adjective

1. Informal.

   1. basic or essential.

      to discuss the gut issues.

   2. based on instincts or emotions.

      a gut reaction; gut decisions.

idioms

1. spill one's guts, to tell all; lay oneself bare; confess everything.

   The celebrity chef spills his guts in his autobiography.

GUT ² American  

Physics.

1. grand unification theory.

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gut ¹ British  

/ ɡʌt /

noun

1. 1. the lower part of the alimentary canal; intestine

   2. the entire alimentary canal

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

3. slang the belly; paunch

4. See catgut

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

6. a narrow channel or passage

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

8. informal (plural) the essential part

   the guts of a problem

9. informal to make an intense effort

10. informal to be extremely angry with someone

11. informal to dislike a person very strongly

12. informal to work very hard

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verb

1. to remove the entrails from (fish, etc)

2. (esp of fire) to destroy the inside of (a building)

3. to plunder; despoil

   the raiders gutted the city

4. to take out the central points of (an article), esp in summary form

adjective

1. informal arising from or characterized by what is basic, essential, or natural

   a gut problem

   a gut reaction

GUT ² British  

/ ɡʌt /

acronym

1. grand unified theory

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gut ¹ Scientific  

/ gŭt /

1. The intestine of a vertebrate animal.

2. The alimentary canal of an invertebrate animal.

3. The tube in a vertebrate embryo that later develops into the alimentary canal, lungs, and liver.

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GUT ² Scientific  

1. Abbreviation of grand unified theory See unified field theory

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gut More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing gut

• bust a gut
• hate someone's guts
• have the guts

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Other Word Forms

• gutlike adjective
• ungutted adjective

Etymology

Origin of gut

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

Explanation

Your gut is part of your digestive system — it's where food goes after you eat it, to get broken down into nutrients and waste. The expression to "go with your gut" means to follow your instincts, how you feel in your belly. Your gut is quite literally your intestines, although the word is frequently used for any part of your digestive system, especially your stomach. Eating too much ice cream can give you an ache in your gut. When gut is a verb, it means to clean the internal organs out of a fish or other animal you intend to eat, or to completely empty a building. Colloquially, if you have guts, you're very brave.

Example Sentences

The researchers also found reduced responsiveness to GLP-1 in both the pancreas and the gut of these mice.

From Science Daily • Apr. 12, 2026

Issues such as insulin resistance, high blood pressure, and imbalances in gut bacteria can worsen disease processes.

From Science Daily • Apr. 10, 2026

A lot of gut instinct is pattern recognition—I’ve lived long, experienced much, and know how this movie ends.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

George W. Bush was famously a gut player too, and having a good gut, a good brain and good judgment are a great boost in life and leadership.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

A rage-filled scream erupts, and my heart drops into my gut.

From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas

Related Words

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