gizzard








noun Zoology.

  1. Also called ventriculus. a thick-walled, muscular pouch in the lower stomach of many birds and reptiles that grinds food, often with the aid of ingested stones or grit.
  2. Also called gastric mill. a similar structure in the foregut of arthropods and several other invertebrates, often lined with chitin and small teeth.
  3. the innards or viscera collectively, especially the intestine and stomach.

noun

  1. the thick-walled part of a bird’s stomach, in which hard food is broken up by muscular action and contact with grit and small stones
  2. a similar structure in many invertebrates
  3. informal the stomach and entrails generally
n.

“stomach of a bird,” late 14c., from Old French gisier (Modern French gésier) “entrails, giblets (of a bird),” probably from Vulgar Latin *gicerium, dissimilated from Latin gigeria (neuter plural) “cooked entrails of a fowl,” a delicacy in ancient Rome, from PIE *yekwr- “liver” (see hepatitis). Parasitic -d added 1500s. Later extended to other animals, and, jocularly, to human beings.

  1. A muscular pouch behind the stomach in birds. It has a thick lining and often contains swallowed sand or grit, which helps in the mechanical breakdown of food.
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