digestive system


noun
  1. the system by which ingested food is acted upon by physical and chemical means to provide the body with absorbable nutrients and to excrete waste products; in mammals the system includes the alimentary canal extending from the mouth to the anus, and the hormones and enzymes assisting in digestion.

Origin of digestive system

1
First recorded in 1950–55

Words Nearby digestive system

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How to use digestive system in a sentence

Scientific definitions for digestive system

digestive system

[ dī-jĕstĭv ]


  1. The alimentary canal together with the salivary glands, liver, pancreas, and other organs of digestion.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for digestive system

digestive system

The organs and glands in the body that are responsible for digestion. The digestive system begins with the mouth and extends through the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and large intestine, ending with the rectum and anus. Other organs in this system include the liver, pancreas, gallbladder, and appendix.

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.