the alimentary canal, especially between the pylorus and the anus, or some portion of it.
guts,
bowels or entrails.
Informal. courage and fortitude; nerve; determination; stamina.
Climbing that cliff takes a lot of guts.
the inner working parts of a machine or device.
The mechanic had the guts of the refrigerator laid out on the kitchen floor.
the belly; stomach; abdomen.
the substance forming the case of the intestine; intestinal tissue or fiber.
sheep's gut.
a preparation of the intestines of an animal, used for various purposes, as for violin strings, tennis rackets, or fishing lines.
the silken substance taken from a silkworm killed when about to spin its cocoon, used in making snells for fishhooks.
a narrow passage, as a channel of water or a defile between hills.
Slang. Also gut course snap course.
to take out the guts or entrails of; disembowel.
to destroy the interior of.
Fire gutted the building.
to plunder (a house, city, etc.) of contents.
Invaders gutted the village.
to remove the vital or essential parts from.
The prisoner's letters were gutted by heavy censorship.
the lower part of the alimentary canal; intestine
the entire alimentary canal
(often plural) the bowels or entrails, esp of an animal
slang the belly; paunch
See catgut
a silky fibrous substance extracted from silkworms, used in the manufacture of fishing tackle
a narrow channel or passage
informal (plural) courage, willpower, or daring; forcefulness
informal (plural) the essential part
the guts of a problem
informal to make an intense effort
informal to be extremely angry with someone
informal to dislike a person very strongly
informal to work very hard
to remove the entrails from (fish, etc)
(esp of fire) to destroy the inside of (a building)
to plunder; despoil
the raiders gutted the city
to take out the central points of (an article), esp in summary form
The intestine of a vertebrate animal.
The alimentary canal of an invertebrate animal.
The tube in a vertebrate embryo that later develops into the alimentary canal, lungs, and liver.
First recorded before 1000; Middle English gut, guttes (plural), Old English guttas (plural), akin to gēotan “to pour”
Your gut is part of your digestive system — it's where food goes after you eat it, to get broken down into nutrients and waste. The expression to "go with your gut" means to follow your instincts, how you feel in your belly. Your gut is quite literally your intestines, although the word is frequently used for any part of your digestive system, especially your stomach. Eating too much ice cream can give you an ache in your gut. When gut is a verb, it means to clean the internal organs out of a fish or other animal you intend to eat, or to completely empty a building. Colloquially, if you have guts, you're very brave.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Over the next decade, the gut will emerge as a central hub to treat multiple diseases and protect organs across the body.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 14, 2026
The gut contains trillions of microbes that help regulate immunity, metabolism and even brain signaling.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 14, 2026
The gut is home to trillions of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses and fungi.
From BBC • Jun. 11, 2026
New research in mice suggests that gut microbes and the compounds they produce may play a surprising role in protecting against some of the condition's most serious consequences, including heart disease.
From Science Daily • Jun. 9, 2026
This feeling in my gut, that there was something more at work here than just the two of us.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
