digestive system

American  

noun

• digestive systems
  plural

1. the system by which ingested food is acted upon by physical and chemical means to provide the body with absorbable nutrients and to excrete waste products; in mammals the system includes the alimentary canal extending from the mouth to the anus, and the hormones and enzymes assisting in digestion.

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digestive system Scientific  

/ dī-jĕs′tĭv /

1. The alimentary canal together with the salivary glands, liver, pancreas, and other organs of digestion.

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digestive system Cultural  

1. The organs and glands in the body that are responsible for digestion. The digestive system begins with the mouth and extends through the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and large intestine, ending with the rectum and anus. Other organs in this system include the liver, pancreas, gallbladder, and appendix.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• digestive systems
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of digestive system

First recorded in 1950–55

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

digestive system

The findings help explain why a disease centered in the liver can be strongly influenced by events occurring elsewhere in the digestive system.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2026

The findings suggest that the amount of energy people obtain from food depends partly on its composition and how it moves through the digestive system.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026

The gut microbiome consists of the enormous community of bacteria and other microorganisms that inhabit the digestive system.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026

Scientists know much less about what happens inside the digestive system immediately after a person starts moving.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 5, 2026

Mr. Levy straightened his newspaper and realized again that, were his digestive system able to take it, he should have given his time to supervising Levy Pants.

From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole

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