adjective
noun
-
a less common word for digestant
-
short for digestive biscuit
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of digestive
1350–1400; Middle English < Middle French digestif < Latin dīgestīvus, equivalent to dīgest ( us ) ( see digest) + -īvus -ive
Explanation
Anything that's digestive has something to do with the body's process of breaking down food. A stomach ache can be a sign of digestive problems — or just nervousness about the first day of school. Your digestive system is made up of all the body parts that contribute to taking large pieces of food and breaking them into water-soluble bits that are eventually absorbed into your bloodstream. Sometimes this adjective describes food that's meant to help in this process, like digestive mints and digestive biscuits. As a noun it simply means "food or medicine that aids digestion." If you're overfull after Thanksgiving dinner, your grandmother might suggest you take a digestive.
Vocabulary lists containing digestive
Life Science: Human Systems
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Life Science II
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Vocabulary from Readings, Unit 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.
They have bloating, heartburn and other digestive issues.
From Salon • Jun. 14, 2026
The company has relied on its oral-health portfolio to offset weakness in product categories like respiratory and digestive health during a milder cold and flu season, particularly in Europe.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
Gastrointestinal failure means Rupert's digestive system does not function as it should, while haemophilia A is a condition which affects how his blood clots.
From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026
Scientists are still in the early stages of finding biological ways to reduce nanoplastic accumulation in the digestive system.
From Science Daily • May 18, 2026
Dr. Barker found deposits of DDT throughout the digestive tracts of the worms, their blood vessels, nerves, and body wall.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
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.
