digestion

American  

[dih-jes-chuhn, dahy-] / dɪˈdʒɛs tʃən, daɪ- /

noun

digestions plural

1. the process in the alimentary canal by which food is broken up physically, as by the action of the teeth, and chemically, as by the action of enzymes, and converted into a substance suitable for absorption and assimilation into the body.

2. the function or power of digesting food.

   My digestion is bad.

3. the act of digesting or the state of being digested.

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digestion British  

/ dɪˈdʒɛstʃən, daɪ- /

noun

1. the act or process in living organisms of breaking down ingested food material into easily absorbed and assimilated substances by the action of enzymes and other agents

2. mental assimilation, esp of ideas

3. bacteriol the decomposition of sewage by the action of bacteria

4. chem the treatment of material with heat, solvents, chemicals, etc, to cause softening or decomposition

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digestion Scientific  

/ dī-jĕs′chən /

1. The process by which food is broken down into simple chemical compounds that can be absorbed and used as nutrients or eliminated by the body. In most animals, nutrients are obtained from food by the action of digestive enzymes. In humans and other higher vertebrates, digestion takes place mainly in the small intestine. In protists and some invertebrates, digestion occurs by phagocytosis.

2. The decomposition of organic material, such as sewage, by bacteria.

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digestion Cultural  

1. The breaking down of food, which is made up of complex organic molecules (see also organic molecule), into smaller molecules that the body can absorb and use for maintenance and growth.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nondigestion
  noun
• redigestion
  noun
• self-digestion
  noun
• digestional
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• digestions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of digestion

1350–1400; Middle English digestioun < Anglo-French, Middle French < Latin dīgestiōn- (stem of dīgestiō ), equivalent to dīgest ( us ) ( see digest) + -iōn- -ion

Explanation

Digestion is the process your body goes through to break the food you eat into substances that it can absorb and use. Chewing is an important first step in digestion, because your teeth make food small enough to swallow. Your digestion isn't usually something you spend much time thinking about, unless you eat something that upsets your digestion — then the process can be uncomfortable. You can also describe the breakdown of other types of material — when it's exposed to chemicals or bacteria, for example — as digestion. A figurative kind of digestion happens when you think through complicated information and begin to make sense of it all.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

digestion digestions

GLP-1 medications like Ozempic are also peptides: they mimic a naturally occurring molecule that regulates appetite, blood sugar and digestion.

From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026

This hormone signals fullness to the brain, slowing digestion and stimulating the release of insulin.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 8, 2026

O’Mara says the diet leads to a reduction in visceral fat, which wraps around organs, as well as a more robust microbiome, which can help with digestion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026

Similar to its injection form, the tablets contain semaglutide that works by mimicking the actions of a natural hormone called GLP-1 that suppresses appetite and slows digestion to keep you feeling fuller and less hungry.

From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026

A kindly, educated old man with a big white Panama hat who worried mostly about his digestion, my grandfather entertained no political ambitions.

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez

“Here are some reliable recipes for seasonable candies warranted to be no more harmful to youthful digestions and appetites than most other candies.”

From New York Times ● Oct. 30, 2014

More strong digestions like his are needed to assimilate the art of the past and give the impetus necessary to handle new facets of today's vision.

From Time Magazine Archive

Though their digestions may have suffered, their smiles were undimmed, the lips stiff and upper throughout.

From Time Magazine Archive

Few travelers in search of tranquillity and an authentic native culture would risk their dollars or digestions today on such tourist emporiums as San Juan and St. Maarten.

From Time Magazine Archive

Even the usual formal dinner had to be scrambled through, with grave danger to the digestions of the youthful officers.

From The Fight for Constantinople A Story of the Gallipoli Peninsula by Westerman, Percy F. (Percy Francis)

Related Words

• absorption
• metabolism