Chiefly in pl. Forms: α. 4–7 entraile, 4–5 entraille, 5–7 entrayle, 5 -traylle, (5 entrell(e, -treyll), 6–7 entral(l(e; β. 6–8 intrail(e, 6–7 intral(l(e, (6 intrayle, 7 interal). [a. OF. entraille (now only in pl. entrailles) = Pr. intralia:—late L. intrālia inward parts, intestines, neut. pl. of *intrālis adj. ‘inward,’ f. inter between, among: see INTERIOR. Cf. L. interānea entrails, whence OF. entraigne, Sp. entrañas. As the word, like others with same termination, represents a Lat. neut. pl. taken as a fem. sing., it had primarily a collective sense, the sing. and pl. being in early use equivalent.]
I. In sing.
† 1. collect. The intestines or internal parts generally; the ‘inside.’ Obs.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 26756. Þis entrail in fire þat brennes bitakens þin vn-scriuen sinnes.
c. 1300. K. Alis., 3628. He smot that duk, on the breost; Thorugh livre, and his entraile.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 11800. The bestis were britnet & broght to þe auter, With the entrell euermore euyn vppo lofte.
1652. Ashmole, Theat. Chem. Brit., liii. 224. Yet have y mor poyse closyd in mine entrayle.
† b. Cookery. A stuffed paunch. Obs.
c. 1430. Cookery Bk., 38. An Entrayle—Take a chepis wombe; take Polettys y-rostyd … and do in the wombe.
2. [With sense inferred from the pl.: see 3 a.] An internal organ of the body; = L. viscus. Now rare.
1677. Barrow, Serm. (1686), III. 135. The heart, that material part and principal entrail of our Body, is the chief seat of the soul.
1807. G. Gregory, Dict. Arts & Sc., II. 444/1 s.v. Plants, Linnæus defines them [stamina] to be an entrail of the plant.
1856. Kane, Arct. Expl., II. iii. 41. I have not permitted myself to taste more than an occasional entrail of our last half-dozen rabbits.
b. esp. A bowel, intestine.
1483. Cath. Angl., 116. An Entrelle, vbi A tharme.
II. In pl.
3. a. gen. The organs and parts enclosed in the trunk of man or other animals. rare in mod. use.
α. a. 1300. Cursor M., 26752. Alle your entrailles ilkon in welland pottes sal be don.
1481. Caxton, Myrr., II. xv. 100. The spyther … spynneth and weueth of his entraylles the thredes of whiche he maketh his nettes.
1555. Eden, Decades W. Ind., III. II. (Arb.), 42. Whether perles bee the byrthe or spaune of there entrals.
1610. Healey, St. Aug. Citie of God, 526. The lungs, the softest of all the entrailes but for the marrow.
1734. trans. Rollin’s Anc. Hist. (1827), I. Pref. p. lvi. The divine vapour … had diffused itself through the entrails of the priestess.
1772. Priestley, Inst. Relig. (1782), I. 200. The priests used to … devour the entrails of goats.
1838–43. Arnold, Hist. Rome, II. xxix. 143. The signs given by the entrails of the sacrifice.
β. 1557. North, trans. Gueuara’s Diall Pr., 43 b/1. The wormes shall eate hys intrayles in the graue after his death.
1588. Shaks., Tit. A., I. ii. 144. And intrals feede the sacrifising fire.
1629. Davenant, Albovine (1673), 431. All m’interals are shrunk up.
1728. T. Sheridan, Persius, Sat. II. (1739), 31. Is it by the fat Intrails of Beasts?
b. spec. The contents of the abdominal cavity; the bowels; the intestines.
α. 1382. Wyclif, Acts i. 18. Alle his [Judas’] entrailis ben sched abrood.
1486. Bk. St. Albans, C v b. For sekenes that haukis haue i their entrellis.
c. 1489. Caxton, Sonnes of Aymon, ix. 251. The wounde of Rycharde was soo greefull to see … For all the entraylles appyered oute of his body.
1594. T. B., La Primaud. Fr. Acad., II. Ep. Rdr. The lower story of this frame, where the guttes and entrailes of the body … haue their abiding.
1667. Milton, P. L., II. 783. Thine own begotten, breaking violent way Tore through my entrails.
1768–74. Tucker, Lt. Nat. (1834), II. 142. The flattering bait of pride to get her swallowed down into the entrails.
β. 1467. in Eng. Gilds (1870), 372. That intrailles of bestes and blode putts be clansed … by night.
1594. Shaks., Rich. III., IV. iv. 23. Wilt thou, O God, flye from such gentle Lambs, And throw them in the intrailes of the Wolfe?
1607. Markham, Caval., III. 40. It also purgeth the stomacke, and intralls of all molten grease or other humors.
1704. Swift, Batt. Bks. (1711), 240. If the Materials be nothing but Dirt, spun out of your own Intrails (the Guts of Modern Brains).
1726. Sloane, Jamaica, II. 304. The intrails were the same as those of other pigeons.
† 4. The inward parts regarded as the seat of the emotions, thoughts, etc.; = ‘heart,’ ‘soul’; also in phrase † Entrails of mercy. Cf. BOWEL 3.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Boeth., III. xii. 107. Þe most[e] ardaunt loue of hys wijf brende þe entrailes of his brest.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Serm., Sel. Wks. II. 255. Ofte holy writt clepiþ mercy þe entrailis of mercy. Ibid. (1382), Ecclus. xix. 23. The entrailes of hym ben ful of treccherie.
c. 1430. Lydg., Bochas, IV. xiv. (1554), 114 a. In her entrayles all malice was enclosed.
1574. Hellowes, Gueuara’s Fam. Ep. (1584), 264. That I shoulde bee of malicious entrailes, either double in wordes.
1593. Shaks., 3 Hen. VI., I. iv. 87. What, hath thy fierie heart so parcht thine entrayles, That not a Teare can fall, for Rutlands death?
1611. Heywood, Gold. Age, I. i. Wks. 1874, III. 11. Her Intrails were all in a mutiny.
1790. Burke, Fr. Rev., 128. In England we have not yet been completely embowelled of our natural entrails.
5. transf. The inner parts of anything; the interior, internal contents (of the earth, etc., often with personification). Now somewhat rare.
1490. Caxton, Eneydos, xix. 73. The rotes haue hidde hemself wythin the entraylles of therthe their moder.
1576. Fleming, Panoplie Ep., 282. Such a one searcheth the very heart and entrayles of the ground, for gold and silver.
1602. Fulbecke, Pandectes Law Nations, 73. The other entralles of the earth: as Pitch, Chalke, lyme.
1610. Shaks., Temp., I. ii. 295. I will rend an Oake And peg thee in his knotty entrailes.
1624. Capt. Smith, Virginia, VI. 215. The Riuer doth pierce many daies iourney the entrailes of that Country.
a. 1661. Fuller, Worthies (1840), II. 263. The entrails of such utensils [pillow, or bolster] amongst the Romans were made but of dust.
1682. Sir T. Browne, Chr. Mor. (1716), 92. Even the Sun, whose Glorious outside we behold, may have dark and smoaky Entrails.
1683. Pettus, Fleta Min., II. 12. The Monochord whose Entrals are curiously composed of Metals.
1772–82. Mason, Eng. Garden, II. 12/215 (R.). Nor thou, fell tube! Whose iron entrails hide the sulphurous blast.
1866. Hartwig, Harmonies Nat., in Spurgeon, Treas. Dav., Ps. xcv. 4. Filtering through the entrails of the earth … the thermal springs gush forth.
† b. of immaterial things. Obs.
1584. Fenner, Def. Ministers (1587), 74. He must rippe vp the verie intrayles of our wordes, ere hee can fetche out this meaning.
1642. Rogers, Naaman, 867. Sinne is got into thy spirit, and hath seated it selfe deeply in the entrals of thy soule.
a. 1656. Vines, Lord’s Supp. (1677), 324. To look into the entrals of this Sacrament.
