comestible
Americanadjective
noun
-
comestibles
plural
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of comestible
1475–85; < Late Latin comēstibilis, equivalent to Latin comēst ( us ), past participle of comedere to eat up ( see comedo; -ēstus for -ēs ( s ) us by analogy with gestus, ūstus, etc.; see combust) + -ibilis -ible; see eat
Explanation
Anything that you could possibly use for food is a comestible, a synonym of "edible." It can be used as a noun ("We shopped for comestibles") or an adjective ("It looked awful, but was comestible"). The word comestible, a rather formal-sounding word for food, has its roots in the Latin word comedere, which means "to eat up." Since comestible shares a background with the word consume, you will hopefully remember its meaning. Comestible was first recorded in the 15th century, and it bounced around as an adjective before becoming a noun in the 19th century.
Vocabulary lists containing comestible
List 8
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
A Walk in the Woods
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
David Copperfield
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Pizza then exploded in popularity after the Second World War when returning servicemen brought home a seemingly universal passion for the tasty comestible.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 9, 2026
But what happens when those scouts find a comestible motherlode?
From Science Daily ● Nov. 16, 2024
She concocted an ideal Sunday itinerary in which her cravings would guide her on a crosstown comestible spree.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 26, 2024
She'll often riff on nostalgic flavors, like the Hawaiian Hurricane Popcorn she grew up eating, toying with the idea that the butter mochi itself is a comestible link to childhood comfort.
From Salon ● Dec. 6, 2021
In a word he was "the excellent Trevelyan." and the adjective fitted him as snugly as it did the well-known comestible with which it had come to be so comfortably and freely associated.
From Madcap by George Gibbs
Pretty much the only comestibles in stock are bags of candy and jars of baby food, which makes Jeffrey one of the first screen criminals to fret about tooth decay.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2025
I’d think as I read yet another snarky paean to Fairway, another article on how to survive air travel on those harrowing flights to Italy with a few gourmet comestibles.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 2, 2022
His private companies and a nonprofit group at UG raised millions of dollars by certifying supplements, cannabis, and other comestibles.
From Science Magazine ● Jun. 1, 2022
I kept imagining what it must have been like to be in this space of kitschy plastic comestibles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 22, 2021
He throws his hands—with my comestibles still in them—into the air.
From "Odd One Out" by Nic Stone
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.
