What does "gut" mean?
The alimentary canal, especially the intestine.
Gut
/ɡʌt/ adj, name, noun, verb, slang
adj, name, noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The alimentary canal, especially the intestine.
- Grammar: gut is listed as adj, name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: ab ovo, abdomen, abomasum, affectional.
- Useful contrasts: analysis, enclose, enhance.
- Usage evidence: Years of heavy drinking has left John with a beer gut.
How to use "gut"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "gut" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "gut" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "gut" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "gut" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "gut" is acting as adj, name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "ab ovo" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "gut", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The alimentary canal, especially the intestine. countable, uncountable
- 2 Initialism of grand unification theory or grand unified theory. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
- 3 a strong cord made from the intestines of sheep and used in surgery wordnet
- 4 The abdomen of a person, especially one that is enlarged. countable, informal, uncountable
"You've developed quite a beer gut since I last met you."
- 5 the part of the alimentary canal between the stomach and the anus wordnet
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 The intestines of an animal used to make strings of a tennis racket or violin, etc. uncountable
- 7 a narrow channel or strait wordnet
- 8 A person's emotional, visceral self. countable, uncountable
"I have a funny feeling in my gut."
- 9 A class that is not demanding or challenging. countable, informal, uncountable
"You should take Intro Astronomy: it's a gut."
- 10 A narrow passage of water. countable, uncountable
"the Gut of Canso"
- 11 The sac of silk taken from a silkworm when ready to spin its cocoon, for the purpose of drawing it out into a thread. When dry, it is exceedingly strong, and is used as the snood of a fishing line. countable, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To eviscerate. transitive
"Holonym: field dress"
- 2 remove the guts of wordnet
- 3 To remove or destroy the most important parts of. transitive
"Fire gutted the building."
- 4 empty completely; destroy the inside of wordnet
- 5 To dishearten; to crush (the spirits of). transitive
"They were gutted by the court's decision."
Adjective
- 1 Made of gut.
"a violin with gut strings"
- 2 Instinctive.
"gut reaction"
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname from German.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Years of heavy drinking has left John with a beer gut."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "gut"?
Common synonyms include: ab ovo, abdomen, abomasum, affectional, affective, arm.
How do you use "gut" in a sentence?
Years of heavy drinking has left John with a beer gut.
How do you pronounce "gut"?
Pronounced /ɡʌt/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English gut, gutte, gotte, from Old English gutt (usually in plural guttas (“guts, entrails”)), from Proto-Germanic *gut-, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰewd- (“to pour”). Related to English gote (“drain”), Old English ġēotan (“to pour”). More at gote, yote. The verb is from Middle English gutten, gotten (“to gut”).
Etymology 2
* As a German, Alemannic German, and Jewish surname, variant of Guth. Also compare Gutmann. * As an English surname, from the noun gut. See Gott.