taru-adjective, adverb taking the 'to' particle
Literary or formal description of a path, road, or river that twists like sheep intestines. Often used in set phrases like 羊腸の小径.
山道は羊腸として続いていた。
The mountain path continued, winding like sheep intestines.
noun
sheep intestines
Original literal meaning; now rare outside historical or anatomical contexts.
「羊腸」はもともと羊の腸を指す言葉だった。
羊腸 originally referred to the intestines of a sheep.