Insides

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ɪnˈsaɪdz/

Definitions

1. The internal organs or components within a living being or object, often hidden from view
2. The hidden structural elements inside an item or organism that are crucial for functionality or existence
3. The organs located inside a living body that perform vital functions ; the parts inside an object that make it work or hold it together

Etymology: "Insides" is simply the plural of "inside," and the plural form has its own everyday sense: the internal organs and mechanisms of a body or machine, or the workings you cannot see from outside. The singular "inside" goes back to Middle English "ynneside," built from "in" and "side," the same two plain words English still uses today. The compound is transparent: it names the side that lies within a thing, as opposed to the outer surface. The construction is not unique to English. German has "Innenseite," Danish "inderside," Swedish "insida," and Dutch "binnenzijde," each combining an "inside" or "in" element with a word for "side." Several of these languages built the same compound independently, so the pattern reflects a common Germanic way of describing a thing's interior surface rather than borrowing from one language to another.

Synonyms: interiors, innards, guts

Antonyms: outsides, exteriors