ingest
Americanverb (used with object)
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to take, as food, into the body (opposed to egest).
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Aeronautics. to draw (foreign matter) into the inlet of a jet engine, often causing damage to the engine.
verb
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to take (food or liquid) into the body
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(of a jet engine) to suck in (an object, a bird, etc)
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of ingest
First recorded in 1610–20; from Latin ingestus, past participle of ingerere “to throw or pour into”; see in- 2, gest
Explanation
When you ingest something, you swallow it or otherwise consume it. If you don't ingest enough iron, you'll feel tired and weak and you'll look pale. Trees ingest carbon dioxide, and humans ingest the oxygen that trees in turn produce. We also ingest a lot of other things, like French fries, ice cream, and root beer. You can also use this word to mean "take in information," like when you ingest the details of your history book. Ingest has a Latin root, ingestus, "poured in," from in-, "into," and gerere, "to carry."
Vocabulary lists containing ingest
The Body Eclectic: Words For Common Physical Functions
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The Smartest Kid in the Universe
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Iveliz Explains It All
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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 tools ingest historical crime data and score neighborhoods on predicted risk so officers can be routed toward the resulting hot spots.
From Salon • May 12, 2026
Panson said he expects AI agents to be able to ingest more information and take on audit tasks involving more judgment over time, while humans continue to provide oversight.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026
Many things that we can ingest in high doses in the short term can cause massive problems over time.
From Slate • Mar. 5, 2026
The research team also explored why certain fish were more likely to ingest microplastics.
From Science Daily • Feb. 3, 2026
“The time after you ingest your midday nourishment will be entirely devoted to theatrical pursuits.”
From "George" by Alex Gino
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.
