bowel
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the long tube in your body that processes food and carries waste away.
n.the part of the alimentary canal below the stomach; the intestines, particularly the large intestine.
Simple“The doctor asked if he had been having regular bowel movements lately.”
In context“Chronic inflammation of the bowel can lead to significant discomfort and requires a carefully managed diet to avoid flare-ups.”
UsageOften used in the medical phrase 'bowel movement' to refer to the act of passing waste.
- 02 C1 Advanced
n.the deepest or most hidden parts of something, like a building or a ship.
n.the deep or innermost parts of a physical structure or geographic feature.
Simple“The engineers spent all day working in the dark bowels of the ship.”
In context“Deep within the bowels of the old library, researchers discovered a collection of manuscripts that had been forgotten for centuries.”
UsageAlmost always used in the plural form 'bowels' when referring to interiors.
- 03 C2 Proficiency
n.an old way of talking about a person's ability to feel pity or kindness.
n.the seat of pity or the gentler emotions; the capacity for mercy.
Simple“The cruel king showed no bowels of compassion for his prisoners.”
In context“The poet appealed to the judge's bowels of mercy, hoping for a lighter sentence for the impoverished thief.”
Teacher's tipThis sense is found almost exclusively in historical literature or religious texts like the King James Bible.
SynonymsAntonyms - 04 C2 Proficiency
v.to take the internal organs out of a person or animal.
v.to eviscerate or disembowel a creature.
Simple“The hunters would bowel the deer immediately after the catch.”
In context“In ancient times, certain execution methods involved the public act of bowelling the condemned while they were still alive.”
Synonymsdisemboweleviscerate
Borrowed from Middle French bouel, from Old French boïel, from Latin botellus, diminutive of botulus (“sausage”). Doublet of boyau.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.