Definition

1. Noun (plural):
   • The internal organs of a human or animal, especially those within the abdominal cavity: This term refers collectively to the soft organs inside the body, such as the intestines, stomach, liver, and heart. It is often used in informal or technical contexts.
   • The inner workings or components of a machine or device: By extension, "innards" can metaphorically describe the complex internal parts of a mechanical or electronic object.

Examples of Usage

• Referring to bodily organs:
  • The butcher cleaned the chicken and removed its innards.
  • The surgeon had to examine the patient's innards during the operation.
• Referring to machine parts:
  • He opened the back of the clock to look at its mechanical innards.
  • To fix the computer, you need to understand its electronic innards.

Advanced Usage

• "Spill one's innards" (idiomatic, informal): To confess or reveal one's deepest thoughts and feelings.
  • In therapy, she finally felt safe enough to spill her innards about the traumatic event.
• Used informally and sometimes humorously to describe the essential, often messy, internal parts of anything complex.
  • The documentary showed the political innards of the campaign.

Variants and Related Words

• Viscera (noun, plural): The formal, technical term for internal organs, especially in the abdomen.
  • The study focused on the viscera of mammals.
• Entrails (noun, plural): Specifically refers to the intestines or internal organs, often in the context of butchery or disembowelment.
  • The hunter removed the entrails from the deer.
• Guts (noun, plural, informal): A very common informal synonym for courage or for the intestines/abdomen.
  • It takes guts to speak in front of a large crowd. (courage)
  • He had a pain in his guts. (abdomen/intestines)

Synonyms

• Internal organs: The standard formal phrase.
• Insides (informal): A very general informal term for the interior parts of a body or object.
• Works (informal, for machinery): The moving parts of a machine.

Related Phrases

• Know something inside out/innards out: To know something extremely well, in every detail. (Note: "innards out" is a less common, playful variant of "inside out").
  • She knows the engine innards out.

Related Idioms

• Have the innards for something (rare, informal): To have the courage or fortitude for a difficult task. This is an extension of the informal use of "guts."
  • I don't think he has the innards for such a risky business venture.

Noun

1. internal organs collectively (especially those in the abdominal cavity)
   • `viscera' is the plural form of `viscus'