visceral

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See also: viscéral

English

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WOTD – 5 July 2023

Etymology

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From Middle French viscéral (modern French viscéral), or from its etymon Medieval Latin viscerālis (“internal”) + English -al (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives). Viscerālis is derived from Latin viscera[1] (a plural form of vīscus (“internal organ of the body”); further etymology uncertain, perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *weys- (“to rotate, turn”)) + -ālis (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives).

cognates

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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visceral (comparative more visceral, superlative most visceral)

  1. (anatomy) Of or relating to, made up of, or positioned among or within, the viscera (“internal organs of the body, especially those contained within the abdominal and thoracic cavities”).
    visceral remains
    Synonym: splanchnic
    Antonym: parietal
    • 1850, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, “Prometheus Bound. From the Greek of Æschylus.”, in Poems. […], new edition, volume I, London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC, page 161:
      [W]hat sign / Of visceral lightness, coloured to a shade, / May charm the genial gods, and what fair spots / Commend the lung and liver.
      A reference to haruspicy, divination by examining animal entrails.
    • 1875 July 2, Charles Darwin, “The Digestive Power of the Secretion of Drosera”, in Insectivorous Plants, London: John Murray, […], →OCLC, page 102:
      Some areolar tissue free from elastic tissue was next procured from the visceral cavity of a toad, and moderately sized, as well as very small, bits were placed on five leaves.
    • 1913 August, Arthur B[enjamin] Reeve, “The X-Ray ‘Movies’”, in The Dream Doctor (The Craig Kennedy Series), New York, N.Y., London: Harper & Brothers, published 1914, →OCLC, pages 340–341:
      I can focus the X-rays first on the screen by means of a special quartz objective which I have devised. Then I take the pictures. Here, you see, are the lungs in slow or rapid respiration. There is the rhythmically beating heart, distinctly pulsating in perfect outline. There is the liver, moving up and down with the diaphragm, the intestines, and the stomach. You can see the bones moving with the limbs, as well as the inner visceral life. All that is hidden to the eye by the flesh is now made visible in striking manner.
    1. (pathology) Of a disease: involving the viscera.
    2. Of or relating to the viscera or bowels regarded as the origin of a person's emotions; hence (figuratively), relating to or having deep internal feelings or sensibility. [16th–17th c.; revived from 20th c.]
      • 1627 May 23 (Gregorian calendar), John Donne, “Sermon XXVI. Preached at St. Paul’s, upon Whitsunday, 1627.”, in Henry Alford, editor, The Works of John Donne, D.D., […], volume I, London: John W[illiam] Parker, […], published 1839, →OCLC, page 532:
        […] Christ sends Paracletum, in a more entire, and a more internal, and more visceral sense, a Comforter.
      • 1640, Edward Reynolds, “Of the Effects of Love, Union to the Object, Stay and Immoration of the Mind upon It, Rest in It, Zeale, Strength, and Tendernesse towards It, Condescention unto It, Liquefaction and Languishing for It”, in A Treatise of the Passions and Faculties of the Soule of Man. […], London: […] R[ichard] H[earne and John Norton] for Robert Bostock, […], →OCLC, page 109:
        Love is of all other the inmoſt and moſt viſcerall affection. And therefore called by the Apoſtle, Bovvels of Love. And vve read of the yearning of Ioſephs bovvels over Benjamin his mothers ſonne, […]
      • 2011 February 17, Ann Hulbert, “Joyce Carol Oates’s Widow’s Lament [book review]”, in The New York Times‎[1], New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2023-04-08:
        At its visceral core, grief is a stress response. So scientists have explained, and other experts have charted the emotional journey.
  2. (figuratively)
    1. Having to do with the response of the body as opposed to the intellect, as in the distinction between feeling and thinking.
      Synonyms: see Thesaurus:visceral
      Antonym: cerebral
      • a. 1631, John Donne, “The 26 Sermon. Psa[lm] 68. 20.”, in XXVI. Sermons (Never before Publish’d) Preached by that Learned and Reverend Divine John Donne, […], London: […] Thomas Newcomb, […], published 1661, →OCLC, page 409:
        Our meditation of his [Jesus's] death should be more viſeral, and affect us more, becauſe it is of a thing already done.
      • 1915 September, H[erbert] G[eorge] Wells, “The Prelude: On Fear and Aristocracy”, in The Research Magnificent, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company, →OCLC, § 4, page 16:
        [T]he discretion of an aristocrat is in his head, a tactical detail, it has nothing to do with this visceral sinking, this ebb in the nerves.
      • 1964 July 3, “Books: Blowing Hot & Cold: Understanding Media by Marshall McLuhan. 359 pages. McGraw-Hill. $7.50. [book review]”, in Roy Alexander, editor, Time‎[2], New York, N.Y.: Time Inc., archived from the original on 2011-06-19:
        Television and other "electric media" are oral-auditory, tactile, visceral, and involve the individual almost without volition. As a result [Marshall] McLuhan believes that the world is rapidly becoming a "global village," in which mankind communicates in a supermodern version of the way tribal societies were once related.
    2. (obsolete) (Apparently) situated in the viscera or the interior of the body.
      • 1624 March 14 (Gregorian calendar), John Donne, “Sermon XIV. Preached at Whitehall, March 4, 1624.”, in Henry Alford, editor, The Works of John Donne, D.D., […], volume I, London: John W[illiam] Parker, […], published 1839, →OCLC, page 283:
        [T]here is none good but God; there is centrical, visceral, gremial gold, goodness in the root, in the tree of goodness, God.

Derived terms

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Translations

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having to do with the response of the body as opposed to the intellect

See also

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References

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  1. ^ “visceral, adj.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, December 2022; “visceral, adj.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

Further reading

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Anagrams

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Catalan

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Pronunciation

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Adjective

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visceral m or f (masculine and feminine plural viscerals)

  1. visceral
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Further reading

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Portuguese

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Pronunciation

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  • (Portugal) IPA(key): (careful pronunciation) /viʃ.sɨˈɾal/ [viʃ.sɨˈɾaɫ], /vi.ʃɨˈɾal/ [vi.ʃɨˈɾaɫ]
    • (Northern Portugal) IPA(key): (careful pronunciation) /biʃ.sɨˈɾal/ [biʃ.sɨˈɾaɫ], /bi.ʃɨˈɾal/ [bi.ʃɨˈɾaɫ]
    • (Southern Portugal) IPA(key): (careful pronunciation) /viʃ.sɨˈɾa.li/, /vi.ʃɨˈɾa.li/

  • Rhymes: -al, -aw
  • Hyphenation: vis‧ce‧ral

Adjective

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visceral m or f (plural viscerais)

  1. visceral

Derived terms

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Further reading

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Romanian

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Etymology

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Borrowed from French viscéral.

Adjective

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visceral m or n (feminine singular viscerală, masculine plural viscerali, feminine and neuter plural viscerale)

  1. visceral

Declension

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singular plural
masculine neuter feminine masculine neuter feminine
nominative-
accusative 		indefinite visceral viscerală viscerali viscerale
definite visceralul viscerala visceralii visceralele
genitive-
dative 		indefinite visceral viscerale viscerali viscerale
definite visceralului visceralei visceralilor visceralelor

Spanish

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Etymology

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From víscera +‎ -al.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): (Spain) /bisθeˈɾal/ [bis.θeˈɾal]
  • IPA(key): (Latin America, Philippines) /biseˈɾal/ [bi.seˈɾal]
  • Rhymes: -al
  • Syllabification: vis‧ce‧ral

Adjective

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visceral m or f (masculine and feminine plural viscerales)

  1. visceral

Derived terms

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Further reading

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