adjective
noun
-
a less common word for digestant
-
short for digestive biscuit
Other Word Forms
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.
The research was made possible by advanced laboratory methods at the university's Department of Pathology and Digestive Health Research Institute.
From Science Daily • Apr. 9, 2026
Those effects can occur almost immediately, said Dr. Susan Z. Yanovski, co-director of the Office of Obesity Research at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
From New York Times • Jun. 18, 2024
Anyone who would like to learn how to deal with heartburn without relying heavily on PPIs may find our “eGuide to Overcoming Digestive Disorders” helpful.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 11, 2023
"You should absolutely be looking at your stool on a regular basis," says Dr. Bryan Curtin, a gastroenterologist at The Institute for Digestive Health and Liver Disease at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore.
From Salon • Oct. 2, 2023
Hygiene of the Digestive Organs, continued, 142 17.
From A Treatise on Anatomy, Physiology, and Hygiene (Revised Edition) by Cutter, Calvin
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.
