bowel

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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

bowelless

play \ˈbau̇(-ə)l-ləs\ adjective

See bowel defined for English-language learners

See bowel defined for kids

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 of bowel from the Web

Furthermore, anxiety is often overlooked as the source of disorders like substance abuse or addiction, or as a contributing factor to symptoms in conditions like migraine headache or irritable bowel syndrome.

— jane e. brody, idahostatesman, "When anxiety masks a medical problem", 2 July 2017
Squalamine, says Zasloff, prompts bowel movement and blocks αS action in gut wall nerves.

— meredith wadman, Science | AAAS, "The rogue protein behind Parkinson’s disease may also protect your gut", 27 June 2017
Even hormonal imbalances and weakened pelvic muscles can offset normal bowel habits.

— dr. manny alvarez, Fox News, "How could you have severe constipation from birth?", 27 June 2017
This technique has also been used to treat everything from stage fright to irritable bowel syndrome.

— charles wallace, WSJ, "What’s Your Heart-Rate Variability? It May Be Time to Find Out", 25 June 2017
After turning Easter into a traumatic event wherein people complained that their tongues and, yes, bowel movements, turned a bright pink color, Oreo is coming for your Christmas.

— melissa minton, Teen Vogue, "Oreo Candy Canes Supposedly Releasing for Christmas", 22 June 2017
Within weeks he was placed in diapers and having up to 40 bloody and watery bowel movements a day.

— dylan walsh, The Atlantic, "Does Bad Health Care Constitute Cruel and Unusual Punishment?", 17 June 2017
Commuters emerged Thursday morning from the bowels of New York Penn Station looking confused, then bemused.

— melanie grayce west, WSJ, "New York Penn Station Project Wows Commuters", 15 June 2017
New research suggests a link between trillions of bugs in our bowels and the effectiveness of immune therapies — drugs that tap the body’s defenses to fight tumors.

— Bloomberg.com, "Your Evening Briefing", 14 June 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of bowel

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

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First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

Other Anatomy Terms

bilateral symmetry, carotid, cartilage, dorsal, entrails, prehensile, renal, solar plexus, supine, thoracic, ventral

BOWEL Defined for English Language Learners

bowel

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noun

Definition of bowel for English Language Learners

: the long tube in the body that helps digest food and carries solid waste out of the body
the bowels : the deep inner parts of something

BOWEL Defined for Kids

bowel

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noun bow·el \ˈbau̇-əl\

Definition of bowel for Students

1 : intestine —usually used in pl.
2 : a part of the intestine the large bowel

Medical Dictionary

bowel

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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