offal

American  

[aw-fuhl, of-uhl] / ˈɔ fəl, ˈɒf əl /

noun

1. the edible organs, or organ parts, of a butchered animal; organ meat.

   Our top three sellers in offal are beef kidney, liver, and tongue.

2. the parts of a butchered animal that are considered inedible by human beings; discarded viscera.

3. refuse; rubbish; garbage.

   Before the agent comes to appraise the house, let’s get someone to haul away all this offal in the backyard.

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offal British  

/ ˈɒfəl /

noun

1. the edible internal parts of an animal, such as the heart, liver, and tongue

2. dead or decomposing organic matter

3. refuse; rubbish

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Etymology

Origin of offal

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English offal, offail, orfal “waste material, entrails,” equivalent to of off + fal fall; compare Dutch afval “waste”

Example Sentences

Said King, whose real name is Brian Johnson, is a massively muscled fitness influencer who built a nine-figure supplement company by promoting what he describes as an “ancestral lifestyle” revolving around ingesting raw offal.

From Salon • Jun. 1, 2025

The beef spicy noodle with pork blood and the rice soup with pork intestine, stomach, tongue and pork blood are big draws here, but I’m not the biggest fan of offal.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 10, 2024

It’s a marvelous sequence: a master class in culinary criticism, a snapshot of cross-generational tension and a reminder of how hard it can be to accept the offal truth.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 29, 2023

“I’m the guy ordering the offal, while she’s getting the salmon,” he said.

From Washington Post • Feb. 28, 2023

Diamond Joe and I carry buckets of offal from behind the menagerie to the main train.

From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen