bowel
/ˈbaʊəl
/noun
1 (often bowels) The part of the alimentary canal below the stomach; the intestine: he felt his bowels loosen the lining of the bowel [as modifier]: bowel cancer...
- The large intestine or large bowel consists of the colon and the section before the anus, the rectum.
- This misplaced tissue may be found on the ovaries, uterus, bowel, pelvis and abdomen.
- Cancer of the small bowel, the longer, thinner part of the intestines is much rarer.
Synonyms
intestine(s), small intestine, large intestine, colon;
entrails, viscera
informal guts, insides, innards
1.1 (the bowels of) The deepest inner parts or areas of (something): the mineshaft descended deep into the bowels of the earth...
- But what if someone stood up and admitted whatever he held deep within the bowels of his soul.
- Deep in bowels of the mansion was the epicentre of communication technology and field command.
- He would have to take it deep into the bowels of the earth, for the glorious Garland Battle was about to begin.
Synonyms
interior, inside, core, belly, cavity, pit;
depths, recesses
informal innards
rare penetralia
Origin
Middle English: from Old French bouel, from Latin botellus, diminutive of botulus 'sausage'.
Old French bouel has given bowel in English, from Latin botellus ‘little sausage’, from botulus, source of botulism (late 19th century), a form of food poisoning, adopted from German Botulismus, originally ‘sausage poisoning’.