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Meaning & use

bowels of the earth

phrase·Advancedliteraryfigurative

Last updated

UK/ˌbaʊəlz əv ði ˈɜːθ/
US/ˌbaʊəlz əv ði ˈɝːθ/

Meanings

  1. phraseidiomliterary

    The deepest parts under the ground, far below the surface of the planet.

    Grammar: Usually with 'in' or 'from': deep in the bowels of the earth.

    Patterns

    • deep in the bowels of the earth
    • from the bowels of the earth

    Miners work deep in the bowels of the earth for months.

    The cave led down into the bowels of the earth.

    A low rumble came from the bowels of the earth.

  2. phraseidiomfigurative

    A hidden, dark or hard-to-reach place, thought of as the lowest or most remote part.

    Grammar: Figurative and dramatic: used for something hidden or sinister.

    Patterns

    • from the bowels of the earth

    The creature crawled from the bowels of the earth in the film.

    The old files lay buried in the bowels of the earth, or so it seemed.

    Legend says the treasure lies in the bowels of the earth.

Common combinations

deep in the bowels of the earth
The tunnels run deep in the bowels of the earth.
from the bowels of the earth
The sound came from the bowels of the earth.
descend into the bowels of the earth
They descended into the bowels of the earth.
hidden in the bowels of the earth
The gold was hidden in the bowels of the earth.
in the bowels of the earth
The lava lay in the bowels of the earth.

Synonyms and how they differ

depths
Depths is the plain word for deep places, while bowels of the earth is poetic and dramatic.
underworld
Underworld is a mythical realm of the dead or criminals, not just the deep ground.
interior
Interior is a neutral, scientific word for the inside of the planet.
abyss
Abyss suggests a bottomless, frightening gap rather than a deep underground place.

Opposites

surfaceheights

Word family

bowels noun
intestines, or the deepest inner part
earth noun
the planet, or soil
subterranean adjective
existing below the surface
underground adjective
below the surface of the earth

Commonly confused: bowels of the earth or bowels of the ship?

bowels of the earth vs bowels of the ship

Bowels of the ship means the lowest inner decks of a vessel; bowels of the earth is about the ground.

Practice

The explorers followed the tunnel down into the ____ of the earth.

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