noun · verb · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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bou'əl
boul
/ˈbaʊ.əl/
/baʊl/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -aʊəl
rhymes with -aʊl
CMU ARPABET:B AW1 AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A part or division of the intestines, usually the large intestine.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: medicine, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The entrails or intestines; the internal organs of the stomach.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: in-plural
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
The (deep) interior of something.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, in-plural
Examples
The treasures were stored in the bowels of the ship.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
The seat of pity or the gentler emotions; pity or mercy.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic, in-plural
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
offspring
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: in-plural, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
verb
Meaning 6
To disembowel.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
the part of the alimentary canal between the stomach and the anus
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: intestine, gut
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: internal organ, viscus
Narrower terms: small intestine, large intestine
History
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French bouel, from Old French boïel, from Latin botellus, diminutive of botulus (“sausage”). Doublet of boyau.
Across languages
Translations
120 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
أَمْعَاء غَلِيظَة
(ʔamʕāʔ ḡalīẓa)
— large intestine
Azerbaijani:
yoğun bağırsaq
— large intestine
Basque:
heste
— large intestine
Basque:
errai
— large intestine
Belarusian:
то́ўстая кі́шка
(tówstaja kíška)
— large intestine
Bengali:
বৃহদান্ত্র
(brihodantro)
— large intestine
Bulgarian:
дебе́ло черво́
(debélo červó)
— large intestine
Burmese:
အူမကြီး
(uma.kri:)
— large intestine
Chinese Cantonese:
大腸 /大肠
— large intestine
Chinese Mandarin:
大腸 /大肠
(dàcháng)
— large intestine
Czech:
tlusté střevo
— large intestine
Danish:
tyktarm
— large intestine
Dutch:
dikke darm
— large intestine
Esperanto:
dika intesto
— large intestine
Finnish:
paksusuoli
— large intestine
French:
gros intestin
— large intestine
German:
Dickdarm
— large intestine
Greek:
παχύ έντερο
(pachý éntero)
— large intestine
Hebrew:
מְעִי
(m'í)
— large intestine
Hindi:
बृहदान्त्र
(bŕhdāntra)
— large intestine
Hungarian:
vastagbél
— large intestine
Italian:
intestino crasso
— large intestine
Japanese:
大腸
(daichō)
— large intestine
Kazakh:
жуан ішек
(juan ışek)
— large intestine
Khmer:
ពោះវៀនធំ
(pŭəh viən thom)
— large intestine
Korean:
대장
(daejang)
— large intestine
Korean:
큰창자
(keunchangja)
— large intestine
Kyrgyz:
жоон ичеги
(joon icegi)
— large intestine
Lao:
ລໍາໄສ້ໃຫຍ່
(lam sai h)
— large intestine
Macedonian:
дебело црево
(debelo crevo)
— large intestine
Malay:
usus besar
— large intestine
Norwegian Bokmål:
tarm
— large intestine
Norwegian Bokmål:
tykktarm
— large intestine
Iranian Persian:
رودِهٔ بُزُرْگ
(rude-ye bozorg)
— large intestine
Polish:
jelito
— large intestine
Polish:
jelito grube
— large intestine
Portuguese:
intestino grosso
— large intestine
Romanian:
intestin gros
— large intestine
Russian:
то́лстая кишка́
(tólstaja kišká)
— large intestine
Serbo-Croatian:
дебело црево
— large intestine
Serbo-Croatian:
дебело цријево
— large intestine
Serbo-Croatian:
debelo crevo
— large intestine
Serbo-Croatian:
debelo crijevo
— large intestine
Slovak:
hrubé črevo
— large intestine
Slovene:
debelo črevo
— large intestine
Spanish:
intestino grueso
— large intestine
Swedish:
tjocktarm
— large intestine
Swedish:
grovtarm
— large intestine
Tajik:
ғафсрӯда
(ġafsrüda)
— large intestine
Thai:
ลําไส้ใหญ่
(lam-sâi-yài)
— large intestine
Turkish:
bağırsak
— large intestine
Turkish:
kalın bağırsak
— large intestine
Ukrainian:
товста́ ки́шка
(tovstá kýška)
— large intestine
