gut
UK[ɡʌt]US[ɡʌt]
n
The long tube in the body that digests food and through which waste passes out
n
The parts of this tube, especially the stomach and intestines
n
Courage and determination
v
To remove the internal organs, especially the intestines, from a fish or animal to prepare it for cooking
v
To destroy the inside of a building or its contents
Etymology
The word 'gut' originates from the Old English 'guttas' (plural), which referred to the entrails or bowels. This term is of Germanic origin, related to Dutch 'gut' and German 'Gütte'. The core meaning has consistently pertained to the internal digestive organs. The figurative sense of 'courage' or 'determination' emerged in the late 19th century, drawing on the idea of visceral, instinctive feeling as opposed to intellectual reasoning. Its use as a verb, meaning to disembowel or to destroy the interior of something, developed from the primary noun sense.
Analysis
The word 'gut' is a simplex word of Germanic origin. It functions as a single, indivisible morpheme in modern English.
Examples
He complained of a sharp pain in his gut.
It takes real gut to stand up to a bully like that.
You need to gut the fish before you can grill it.