Giblets

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈd͡ʒɪbləts/

Definitions

1. the various edible organs of birds, such as the liver and heart, used in culinary preparations
2. a group of internal organs from poultry, like the gizzard, commonly incorporated into dishes
3. The small internal parts of birds that can be eaten, including organs like the liver and heart

Etymology: Before "giblets" named the odds and ends of a roasted bird, the Old French "gibelet" was a stew made from game birds. That stew, in turn, took its name from "gibier," the word for birds hunted for sport, so the dish was defined by the hunt rather than by any particular part of the animal. Over time the meaning narrowed. The English word came from Middle English, borrowed from that French source, and the stew-associated sense gave way to the bits that were left over after a bird was dressed: the liver, heart, gizzard, and neck. Cooks saved these scraps, and the name followed them out of the pot and onto the butcher's label.