alimentary

[al-uh-men-tuh-ree]

See more synonyms for alimentary on Thesaurus.com

adjective

concerned with the function of nutrition; nutritive.
pertaining to food.
providing sustenance or maintenance.

Origin of alimentary

From the Latin word alimentārius, dating back to 1605–15. See aliment, -ary

Related formsun·al·i·men·ta·ry, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for alimentary

comestible, digestible, nourishing, nutrient, nutritious, salutary, nutritive, dietary, nutritional, peptic, sustaining, sustentative

Examples from the Web for alimentary

Historical Examples of alimentary

Arsenic inflames the mucous membranes of the alimentary passages.
Alcohol and the Human Brain
Joseph Cook
Oversaturated, the alimentary system refuses to work properly.
The Iron Ration
George Abel Schreiner
Thus the alimentary supply is conditioned solely by the heat required.
The Races of Man
Joseph Deniker
Of course these ceremonies are not followed by an alimentary communion.
The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life
Emile Durkheim
The alimentary tract is not continued into the hindermost of them.
The Works of Francis Maitland Balfour, Volume II (of 4)
Francis Maitland Balfour

British Dictionary definitions for alimentary

alimentary

adjective

of or relating to nutrition
providing sustenance or nourishment
Scots law free from the claims of creditorsan alimentary trust

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for alimentary

adj.

1610s, from Medieval Latin alimentarius "pertaining to food," from Latin alimentum "nourishment," from alere "to nourish, rear, support, maintain," from PIE root *al- "to grow, nourish" (see old).

alimentary in Medicine

alimentary

[ăl′ə-mĕn′tə-rē, -trē]

adj.

Concerned with food, nutrition, or digestion.
Providing nourishment.