boyau

gut, intestine

noun bwah-YOH Rare

Also means

narrow passage, tube

Usage Note

Boyau literally means an intestine or gut, but is widely used for any narrow, tube-like passage — a trench, a bicycle inner tube (boyau de vélo), or a narrow alleyway. The plural boyaux follows the -eau → -eaux pattern. Les boyaux de la terre refers poetically to underground tunnels or passages.

Examples

"Les soldats avançaient dans les boyaux de la tranchée."

Natural Translation

The soldiers advanced through the trench passages.

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