digestion
[ dih-jes-chuh n, dahy- ]
/ dɪˈdʒɛs tʃən, daɪ- /
noun
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.
the function or power of digesting food: My digestion is bad.
Words nearby digestion
digest, digestant, digester, digestible, digestif, digestion, digestive, digestive biscuit, digestive gland, digestive system, digestive tract
Origin of digestion
OTHER WORDS FROM digestion
di·ges·tion·al, adjectivenon·di·ges·tion, nounre·di·ges·tion, nounself-di·ges·tion, nounDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Examples from the Web for digestion
British Dictionary definitions for digestion
digestion
/ (dɪˈdʒɛstʃən, daɪ-) /
noun
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 agentsRelated adjective: peptic
mental assimilation, esp of ideas
bacteriol the decomposition of sewage by the action of bacteria
chem the treatment of material with heat, solvents, chemicals, etc, to cause softening or decomposition
Derived forms of digestion
digestional, adjectiveWord Origin for digestion
C14: from Old French, from Latin digestiō a dissolving, digestion
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
Medical definitions for digestion
digestion
[ dī-jĕs′chən, dĭ- ]
n.
The process by which food is converted into substances that can be absorbed and assimilated by the body, especially that accomplished in the alimentary canal by the mechanical and enzymatic breakdown of foods into simpler chemical compounds.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Scientific definitions for digestion
digestion
[ dī-jĕs′chən ]
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.
The decomposition of organic material, such as sewage, by bacteria.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for digestion
digestion
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.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.