A stomach rumble, also known as a bowel sound or peristaltic sound, is a rumbling, growling or gurgling noise produced by movement of the contents of the gastro-intestinal tract as they are propelled through the small intestine by a series of muscle contractions called peristalsis. A doctor or nurse can listen to these intestinal noises with a stethoscope but they may be loud enough to be heard with bare ears and are known as stomach rumble or borborygmus (pronounced ; plural borborygmi) as the fluid and gas moves forward in the intestines (in the vicinity of but not actually within the stomach). The lack of bowel sounds is indicative of ileus, intestinal obstruction, or some other serious pathology.