bowels
bowels Lexical Profile
bowels Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The intestines or digestive tract below the stomach, especially in humans and higher vertebrates.
"The patient was advised to eat a high-fiber diet to keep his bowels functioning properly."
The deepest, innermost, or most remote parts of something, such as a building, ship, or the earth.
"The miners worked for hours in the dark bowels of the mountain."
Word Nuance & Usage
While 'bowel' is often used in the singular as an attributive noun in medical contexts (such as 'bowel movement' or 'irritable bowel syndrome'), the plural form 'bowels' is standard when referring collectively to the intestines or metaphorically to the deep interior of a place.
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from Middle English 'bouel', borrowed from Old French 'boel', which traces back to the Late Latin 'botellus' meaning 'small sausage' or 'small intestine', a diminutive of the Latin 'botulus' (sausage).