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alimentary canal

American  

noun

  1. Anatomy, Zoology. a tubular passage functioning in the digestion and absorption of food and the elimination of food residue, beginning at the mouth and terminating at the anus.


alimentary canal British  

noun

  1. the tubular passage extending from the mouth to the anus, through which food is passed and digested

"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

alimentary canal Scientific  
/ ăl′ə-mĕntə-rē /
  1. The tube or passage of the digestive system through which food passes, nutrients are absorbed, and waste is eliminated.

  2. See also digestive tract


Etymology

Origin of alimentary canal

First recorded in 1755–65

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Let’s not overlook how long it takes for a federal lawsuit to make its way through the judicial alimentary canal.

From Los Angeles Times Feb. 6, 2025

The alimentary canal, shown in Figure 25.5b, is a more advanced system: it consists of one tube with a mouth at one end and an anus at the other.

From Textbooks Jun. 9, 2022

Annelids possess a closed circulatory system of dorsal and ventral blood vessels that run parallel to the alimentary canal as well as capillaries that service individual tissues.

From Textbooks Jan. 1, 2015

Figure 23.3 Layers of the Alimentary Canal The wall of the alimentary canal has four basic tissue layers: the mucosa, submucosa, muscularis, and serosa.

From Textbooks Jun. 19, 2013

The walls, not the center of the alimentary canal, need attention.

From Health, Happiness, and Longevity Health without medicine: happiness without money: the result, longevity by McCarty, Louis Philippe

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