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.

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alimentary canal British  

noun

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

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alimentary canal Scientific  

/ ăl′ə-mĕn′tə-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

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Etymology

Origin of alimentary canal

First recorded in 1755–65

Example Sentences

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 digestive system is made up by the alimentary canal, or the digestive tract, and other abdominal organs that play a part in digestion such as the liver and the pancreas.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

These tissues serve to hold the alimentary canal in place near the ventral surface of the vertebral column.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

Below this point, the alimentary canal is supplied with blood by arteries branching from the abdominal aorta.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

It should also be noted that different diseases enter the system and infect it through different channels—some through the lungs, others through the alimentary canal, etc.

From A System of Practical Medicine by American Authors, Vol. I Volume 1: Pathology and General Diseases by Various