Word Study
Bowel
CIDE DICTIONARY
Bowel, n. [OE. bouel, bouele, OF. boel, boele, F. boyau, fr. L. botellus a small sausage, in LL. also intestine, dim. of L. botulus sausage.].
- One of the intestines of an animal; an entrail, especially of man; a gut; -- generally used in the plural. [1913 Webster]"He burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out." [1913 Webster]
- Hence, figuratively: The interior part of anything; as, the bowels of the earth. [1913 Webster]"His soldiers . . . cried out amain,
And rushed into the bowels of the battle." [1913 Webster] - The seat of pity or kindness. Hence: Tenderness; compassion. Shak. [1913 Webster]"Bloody Bonner, that corpulent tyrant, full (as one said) of guts, and empty of bowels." [1913 Webster]
- Offspring. Shak. [1913 Webster]
Bowel, v. t.
To take out the bowels of; to eviscerate; to disembowel. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
Bowel, n.
1 a the part of the alimentary canal below the stomach. b the intestine.
2 (in pl.) the depths; the innermost parts (the bowels of the earth).
1 a the part of the alimentary canal below the stomach. b the intestine.
2 (in pl.) the depths; the innermost parts (the bowels of the earth).
Idiom
bowel movement
1 discharge from the bowels; defecation.
2 the faeces discharged from the body.
1 discharge from the bowels; defecation.
2 the faeces discharged from the body.
Etymology
ME f. OF buel f. L botellus little sausage
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