vis·cer·al

[vis-er-uhl]
adjective
1.
of or pertaining to the viscera.
2.
affecting the viscera.
3.
of the nature of or resembling viscera.
4.
characterized by or proceeding from instinct rather than intellect: a visceral reaction.
5.
characterized by or dealing with coarse or base emotions; earthy; crude: a visceral literary style.

Origin:
1565–75; < Medieval Latin viscerālis, equivalent to viscer- (see viscera) + -ālis -al

vis·cer·al·ly, adverb
non·vis·cer·al, adjective
un·vis·cer·al, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To visceral
00:10
Visceral is always a great word to know.
So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
Collins
World English Dictionary
visceral (ˈvɪsərəl) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
adj
1.  of, relating to, or affecting the viscera
2.  characterized by intuition or instinct rather than intellect
 
'viscerally
 
adv

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

visceral
1570s, "affecting inward feelings," from M.Fr. viscéral, from M.L. visceralis "internal," from L. viscera, pl. of viscus "internal organ," of unknown origin. The bowels were regarded as the seat of emotion. The figurative sense vanished after 1640 and the literal sense is first recorded in 1794.
The figurative sense was revived 1940s in arts criticism.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

visceral vis·cer·al (vĭs'ər-əl)
adj.
Relating to, situated in, or affecting the viscera.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
viscera   (vĭs'ər-ə)  Pronunciation Key 
The soft internal organs of the body, especially those contained within the abdominal and thoracic cavities.

visceral adjective
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Example sentences
Attacks on the namesake engender strong visceral reactions and calls to defend
  it at all costs.
OK, let's get the visceral reactions out of the way.
There are few books and fewer authors, especially in non-fiction, that still
  elicit a visceral reaction upon reading.
It whipped into a frenzy the visceral excitement that his sound had started.
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