To remove the bowels or internal organs from a body; to eviscerate or gut.
From 'dis-' (remove) and 'embowel' (to put in the bowels), which comes from Middle English 'bowell,' from Old French 'boel,' from Latin 'botellus' (small sausage). The term evolved from anatomical descriptions to more general meanings.
Historians used 'disembowel' as both a literal anatomical term and a method of medieval execution and judicial punishment—it appears frequently in historical records of brutal justice. The word reminds us how language reflects the historical moments that create it.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.