disembowel

verb

dis·​em·​bow·​el ˌdis-əm-ˈbau̇(-ə)l How to pronounce disembowel (audio)
disemboweled; disemboweling; disembowels

transitive verb

1
: to take out the bowels of : eviscerate
also : to slash or tear the abdomen so that some or all of the internal organs protrude
2
: to remove the substance of
a program disemboweled by spending cuts
disembowelment noun

Examples of disembowel in a Sentence

The fierce cat uses its claws to disembowel its prey. ancient Roman prophets would disembowel animals in order to read the future from their entrails
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
These orcas have been seen disemboweling sharks and extracting their livers, a high-energy organ, with surgical precision. Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025 These orcas have been seen disemboweling sharks and extracting their livers, a high-energy organ, with surgical precision. Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025 If disembowelling a federal agency does somehow lead to higher reading and math scores, the federal workers who would have tracked this progress won’t be around to tell us about it. Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2025 Analyzing the legendary unicorn tapestries hanging at the Met Cloisters in New York (augmented here by a gory new panel that depicts the suddenly fearsome animals disemboweling and impaling their aggressors), Ridley concludes that unicorns aren’t nearly as benevolent as most people think. Peter Debruge, Variety, 9 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for disembowel

Word History

First Known Use

1618, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of disembowel was in 1618

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Cite this Entry

“Disembowel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disembowel. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

disembowel

verb
dis·​em·​bow·​el ˌdis-əm-ˈbau̇(-ə)l How to pronounce disembowel (audio)
disemboweled or disembowelled; disemboweling or disembowelling
: to take out the bowels of
disembowelment noun

More from Merriam-Webster on disembowel

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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