bowel

noun

bow·el | \ ˈbau̇(-ə)l

Definition of bowel

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 used in plural

3 bowels plural : the interior parts especially : the deep or remote parts bowels of the earth

Other Words from bowel Example Sentences Learn More about bowel

Keep scrolling for more

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

Getting 12 grams of inulin and FOS a day has been shown to help promote regular bowel movements. — Christy Brissette, Washington Post, "What is inulin, and why is it showing up in so many food products?," 12 June 2019 Nonconforming bowel movements were reported in a tremulous voice so that menus had to be changed and Nicholas, the cook and general factotum, sent to the chemist for milk of magnesia. — Lynn Freed, Harper's magazine, "We Were So Happy Then," 10 Mar. 2019 These journal entries are sometimes incidental to a fault, lapsing at one point into marginalia about Ms. Morris’s bowel habits. — Danny Heitman, WSJ, "‘In My Mind’s Eye’ Review: Marching Through the Days," 4 Jan. 2019 Upper stomach pain or feelings of fullness paired with bloating may be indicative of dyspepsia, for example, whereas lower abdomen cramping and a change in bowel habits could point to IBS. — Colleen Stinchcombe, Woman's Day, "Why Am I Always Bloated?," 29 Oct. 2018 For any adult, no matter how old, Chang said that paying attention to your body and bowel habits are important for tracking your overall health -- and that alerting your doctor to any changes is key. — Jacqueline Howard, CNN, "Colon and rectal cancer screenings should start at 45, new guidelines say," 30 May 2018 Signs of colorectal cancer may include a change in bowel habits, such as diarrhea or constipation, that lasts more than a few days; rectal bleeding; and cramping or abdominal pain. — Author: Laurie Mcginley, Anchorage Daily News, "Colorectal cancer screening should start at age 45, American Cancer Society says," 30 May 2018 But some signs and symptoms involve fatigue, blood in the stool, a change in bowel habits, unexplained weight loss, and cramping or abdominal discomfort. — Lindsay Carlton, Fox News, "Harry Connick Jr. talks colon cancer screening options," 26 Mar. 2018 Signs and symptoms may include diarrhea or more bowel movements than usual; stools that are black, tarry, sticky, or have blood or mucus; and severe stomach-area (abdomen) pain or tenderness. — Astrazeneca, USA TODAY, "Tapping into the immune system shows promise in stage 3 lung cancer," 3 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bowel.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about bowel

Dictionary Entries near bowel

Statistics for bowel

Last Updated

26 Jun 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for bowel

The first known use of bowel was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for bowel

bowel

noun

English Language Learners Definition of bowel

: the long tube in the body that helps digest food and carries solid waste out of the body

literary : the deep inner parts of something

See the full definition for bowel in the English Language Learners Dictionary

bowel

noun

bow·el | \ ˈbau̇-əl

Kids Definition of bowel

1 : intestine —usually used in pl.

2 : a part of the intestine the large bowel

bowel

noun

bow·el | \ ˈbau̇(-ə)l

Medical Definition of bowel

: 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