alimentary
Americanadjective
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concerned with the function of nutrition; nutritive.
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pertaining to food.
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providing sustenance or maintenance.
adjective
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of or relating to nutrition
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providing sustenance or nourishment
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Scots law free from the claims of creditors
an alimentary trust
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of alimentary
From the Latin word alimentārius, dating back to 1605–15. See aliment, -ary
Explanation
Use the adjective alimentary to describe something that provides nourishment, like an alimentary meal of vegetable soup and whole-grain bread. Alimentary comes from the Latin word alimentum which means "nourishment." If something nourishes you, it helps you thrive and even grow stronger. So, alimentary foods are those that offer good nutrition to keep you going, like a bowl of oatmeal with walnuts and raisins. Not alimentary? A chocolate donut — though it may be delicious.
Vocabulary lists containing alimentary
Adam West (1928-2017) Tribute List
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On the Origin of Species
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Vocabulary Video Contest (2013) - List 2
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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.
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
Below this point, the alimentary canal is supplied with blood by arteries branching from the abdominal aorta.
From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013
The blood vessels’ second function is to supply the organs of the alimentary canal with the nutrients and oxygen needed to drive their cellular processes.
From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013
They take the place of the lungs and the alimentary tract, which do not come into action until after normal birth.
From Essays In Pastoral Medicine by ?Malley, Austin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
