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
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!
Life Science II
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!
Vocabulary from Readings, Unit 2
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:
Gastrointestinal problems were the most common, consistent with the nausea and other digestive issues already associated with these medications.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 13, 2026
Patti's laboratory still needs to determine exactly how bacteria break down and remove sorbitol, but the researchers found clear evidence that sorbitol does not necessarily remain confined to the digestive tract.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 6, 2026
HSD can also cause gastrointestinal symptoms because the connective tissue within the digestive system is stretchier.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
Parton had canceled a planned Las Vegas engagement in May 2026, revealing that she was being treated for kidney stones as well as other undisclosed digestive and immune ailments.
From Salon ● Aug. 25, 2026
After rinsing them of digestive juices, I ate them.
From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
The boss of the biscuits factory where McVitie's chocolate digestives have been made for the last 100 years reckons people have always eaten them incorrectly.
From BBC ● Apr. 24, 2025
Historically, digestives were made with wholemeal, a combination of fine bran and white flour.
From Washington Post ● May 10, 2022
The British brand McVitie’s even has a dunking expert, Stuart Farrimond, and he claims that dunking digestives in a milky drink releases more flavor than you’d get from a dry one.
From Washington Post ● May 10, 2022
I remember drinking hot chocolate and eating digestives in front of the TV while it rained outside.
From The Guardian ● Jul. 7, 2020
Madeira port and brandy mingled were but digestives.
From The Adventures of Hugh Trevor by Thomas Holcroft
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.
