Definition of gut

The term "gut" is a slang word that originated from the English language in the late 19th century. The word "gut" is actually a shortened version of the term "gutta percha," which comes from the Malay language "getah meling," roughly translating to "natural rubber" in English. In the 19th century, gutta percha was a popular material used for making electrical insulation and telegraph wires as it was strong, flexible, and resistant to water. However, it was found that the material was not durable enough and easily broke due to weather changes. This led to the need for a more robust material for insulation, and the American inventor, Charles Joseph Stevenson Taylor, discovered that the digestive system of a cow or pig contained a strong, flexible, and waterproof material that could be used as an alternative to gutta percha. This material, which turned out to be a layer of cells that lines the intestines of animals, called the mucous membrane, was named the "gut" during this period and was quickly adapted by manufacturers to produce insulation for wires, replacing the less durable gutta percha. In modern times, "gut" is still used in different contexts to describe the digestive organs in animals, including humans, as well as in computer science, where it is used to refer to an internal programming module or software application. The origins of these additional meanings, however, have nothing to do with the intestinal lining or the original gutta percha.