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

“Sometimes, people just didn't have enough money to buy a good cut of meat. So these throwaways were all offal that you were able to get for pennies and then feed your family.”

From Salon • May 14, 2025

But let 2024 be a year of leaving your comfort zone: Try his La Beacon Batchoy egg noodles with pig offal and fermented shrimp.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 6, 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

Over lunch, where she had a steaming bowl of beef offal soup, she described her strategy.

From New York Times • Jul. 13, 2023

The smaller pack, more worn than the other, dangled from Jules’s hand like offal.

From "The Reader" by Traci Chee