disembowel
/,disim'bauəl/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Verb:
- To remove the internal organs, especially the intestines, from the body of a person or animal. This action typically involves cutting open the abdomen.
- To eviscerate; to take out the entrails.
Usage
- The verb "disembowel" is transitive and requires a direct object (e.g., disembowel ).
- It is most commonly used in contexts involving violence, hunting, or historical forms of execution and punishment.
- It is a formal and graphic term, often carrying a strong connotation of brutality.
Examples
- Verb:
- The ancient ritual required the priests to disembowel the sacrificial animal.
- In some historical periods, traitors were executed by being hanged, drawn, and disemboweled.
- The hunter disemboweled the deer quickly after the kill.
Advanced Usage
- "to disembowel oneself": Refers to the act of suicide by cutting open one's own abdomen, most famously associated with the Japanese ritual of .
- The defeated samurai chose to disembowel himself rather than face capture.
- Used metaphorically in literary or critical contexts to mean to remove the essential or vital parts of something.
- The harsh editorial process disemboweled the novel, stripping out its most controversial themes.
Variants and Related Words
- Disembowelment (n): The act or process of disemboweling.
- The disembowelment was a standard part of the execution procedure.
- Eviscerate (v): A formal synonym meaning to remove the entrails. It can also be used metaphorically to mean to deprive of vital content.
- Gut (v): A more informal synonym meaning to remove the guts or intestines.
Synonyms
- Eviscerate
- Gut
- Draw (specifically used for poultry, e.g., to draw a chicken)
- Paunch (archaic, used in hunting contexts)
Phrasal Verbs
Related Idioms
Verb
- remove the entrails of
- draw a chicken