offal

[ aw-fuhl, of-uhl ]

noun

1. the edible organs, or organ parts, of a butchered animal; organ meat: Compare muscle meat ( def ).

   Our top three sellers in offal are beef kidney, liver, and tongue.

2. the parts of a butchered animal that are considered inedible by human beings; discarded viscera.
3. refuse; rubbish; garbage:

   Before the agent comes to appraise the house, let’s get someone to haul away all this offal in the backyard.

offal

/ ˈɒfəl /

noun

1. the edible internal parts of an animal, such as the heart, liver, and tongue
2. dead or decomposing organic matter
3. refuse; rubbish

Word History and Origins

Origin of offal¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English offal, offail, orfal “waste material, entrails,” equivalent to of off + fal fall; compare Dutch afval “waste”

Word History and Origins

Origin of offal¹

C14: from off + fall , referring to parts fallen or cut off; compare German Abfall rubbish

Example Sentences

Awarded a Michelin star in 2019, Il Giglio crafts tasting menus combining traditional peasant staples such as snails, offal, or pigeon with luxury comforts like sea urchin spaghetti.

From Eater

Every page is kind of intense, from fish offal through the aging and charcuterie and even the turducken.

From Eater

The food truck serves pig offal, which has been proven to contain high levels of nandrolone.

From Outside Online

This is the home base of the "King of Offal," Chris Cosentino.

From The Daily Beast

Incanto is the home base of the “King of Offal,” who is known for cooking any part of any animal.

From The Daily Beast

And then he squats there in the middle of bits of meat and offal and all sorts of horrors—which makes him more terrifying still.

From Project Gutenberg

They mature early and rapidly for the quantity of food consumed, yielding largely of good beef with little offal.

From Project Gutenberg

The lion, having sucked the blood of his prey, threw the offal carcass to the jackal in waiting.

From Project Gutenberg

Once its jar is emptied, the larva is flung aside as worthless offal, a certain sign of a non-carnivorous appetite.

From Project Gutenberg

These had a grand feast off the offal while the men were regaling themselves with fresh elk steaks.

From Project Gutenberg