gut

/gʌt/
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gut

A surgeon uses a sterile gut suture to close the incision.

Definition
  1. Noun:

    • The digestive tract, especially the intestines: The long, tube-like part of the body that processes food, from the stomach to the anus.
    • The internal organs of an animal, especially when removed: The entrails or viscera of a butchered animal.
    • A strong, thin cord made from animal intestines: Historically used for surgical sutures, musical instrument strings, or fishing lines.
    • A narrow passage or channel: A narrow waterway or strait.
    • (Informal) Courage and determination; instinctive feeling: Used to refer to personal fortitude or a deep, intuitive reaction.
  2. Verb:

    • To remove the internal organs from an animal or fish: To disembowel or eviscerate.
    • To destroy the interior of something completely: To burn or strip out the inside of a building or object, leaving only the outer shell.
    • (Informal) To extract the essential or most valuable parts from something: To take the core content from a text or idea.
Examples of Usage
  • Noun:

    • The surgeon used catgut for the stitches. (The surgeon used a cord made from animal intestines for the stitches.)
    • He had a gut feeling something was wrong. (He had an instinctive feeling something was wrong.)
    • The boat sailed through the narrow gut between the islands. (The boat sailed through the narrow channel between the islands.)
  • Verb:

    • You need to gut the fish before you cook it. (You need to remove the intestines from the fish before you cook it.)
    • The fire completely gutted the historic building. (The fire completely destroyed the interior of the historic building.)
Advanced Usage
  • "To have the guts (to do something)": To have the courage or nerve to do something.

    • She had the guts to stand up and speak her mind. (She had the courage to stand up and speak her mind.)
  • "Gut reaction/feeling": An immediate, instinctive emotional response.

    • My gut reaction was to say no. (My immediate instinct was to say no.)
  • "To gut (a piece of legislation, a report)": To remove the most important or effective parts, weakening it.

    • Critics accused them of gutting the environmental bill. (Critics accused them of removing the core provisions of the environmental bill.)
Variants and Related Words
  • Gutless (adj): Lacking courage or determination.

    • It was a gutless performance from the team. (It was a cowardly performance from the team.)
  • Gutsy (adj): Showing courage and determination.

    • That was a gutsy decision. (That was a brave decision.)
  • Catgut (n): A type of cord made from the intestines of sheep or other animals, used for surgical sutures and musical strings.

Synonyms
  • Noun (intestines): Bowels, entrails, viscera.
  • Noun (courage): Courage, nerve, fortitude, pluck.
  • Verb (remove organs): Disembowel, eviscerate, draw.
  • Verb (destroy interior): Devastate, ravage, strip.
Related Phrasal Verbs

(Note: "Gut" is not commonly used in standard phrasal verb constructions. Its verbal uses are typically transitive.)

Related Idioms
  • "Bust a gut": To make a huge effort; to laugh very hard.

    • He was busting a gut to finish the project on time. (He was making an enormous effort to finish the project on time.)
    • The comedian was so funny, I busted a gut laughing. (The comedian was so funny, I laughed uncontrollably.)
  • "Spill one's guts": To confess everything; to tell all your secrets or private feelings.

    • He finally spilled his guts to his therapist. (He finally confessed everything to his therapist.)
  • "Hate someone's guts": To dislike someone intensely.

    • After what he did, I hate his guts. (After what he did, I despise him completely.)
gut

A surgeon uses a sterile gut suture to close the incision.

Noun
  1. a strong cord made from the intestines of sheep and used in surgery
  2. a narrow channel or strait
  3. the part of the alimentary canal between the stomach and the anus
Verb
  1. remove the guts of
    • gut the sheep
  2. empty completely; destroy the inside of
    • Gut the building