bowel

noun

bow·​el ˈbau̇(-ə)l 

1

biology : intestine, gut

also : one of the divisions of the intestines

—usually used in plural except in medical use

the large bowel

move your bowels

2

archaic : the seat of pity, tenderness, or courage

—usually plural

3

bowels plural : the interior parts

especially : the deep or remote parts

bowels of the earth

bowelless

ˈbau̇(-ə)l-ləs 

adjective

Examples of bowel in a Sentence

a disease of the bowel

They dug deep into the bowels of the earth.

The engine room is down in the bowels of the ship.

Recent Examples on the Web

Its pelvic health track folds Kegels into broader physical therapy for pelvic pain, bladder leakage and bowel control — a whole-body frame that treats the pelvic floor as one system among several rather than an isolated target. — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 15 Sep. 2026

Its pelvic program folds Kegels into wider physical therapy for issues like bladder leakage, pelvic pain and bowel control, often through employer benefits worth checking on your way back from parental leave. — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 15 Sep. 2026

Hidden in Pursuit’s bowels are two custom submarines, built for expedition trips whose destinations range from Antarctica (Pursuit meets PC6 Polar Class standards) to warmer climes like the Kimberley in Australia. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Sep. 2026

At 1 month old, he was given a feeding tube and diagnosed with a bowel infection at a hospital in Jakarta. — Laura Sharman, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French buel, boel, from Medieval Latin botellus, from Latin, diminutive of botulus sausage

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing bowel

• bowel movement
• inflammatory bowel disease
• irritable bowel syndrome

Rhymes for bowel

• dowel
• howel
• howell
• towel
• vowel
• avowal
• disavowal

Kids Definition

bowel

noun

bow·​el ˈbau̇(-ə)l 

1

a

: intestine entry 2, gut

—usually used in plural

b

: a division of the intestine

2

plural : the interior parts

the bowels of the earth

3

archaic : supply of mercy or courage

—usually used in plural

Medical Definition

bowel

noun

bow·​el ˈbau̇(-ə)l 

: intestine, gut

also : one of the divisions of the intestines

—usually used in plural except in medical use

move your bowels

surgery of the involved bowel