noun
guts
GUTS/ɡˈʌts/
The vital inner parts of a body or mechanism.
The anatomical model displays the body's guts, including the coiled intestines.
Etymology
The literal bowels became a name for courage through the old idea that the internal organs housed the spirit and emotions. This connects physical insides with inner resolve.
In context
this right here is guts so we're going to cut that off and this makes excellent snapper bait
More examples
- She cleans the fish and discards its guts.
- The radio looks antique, but its guts are completely modern.
- You can see the clock's guts through its glass back.
Forms
guts
gut verb — To remove an animal's internal organs.
Similar words
- innards
- Similarly informal for internal organs or a machine's inner parts.
- entrails
- Refers specifically to internal organs, especially intestines, not machinery.
- workings
- Emphasizes how a mechanism's internal parts operate together.