nutrition

[ noo-trish-uhn, nyoo- ]
See synonyms for: nutritionnutritional on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. the act or process of nourishing or of being nourished; the use of food for life, health, and growth: Our program helps families learn about nutrition and make the most of their food budget.

  2. Biology. the process by which organisms take in and utilize food material: Most animals have holozoic nutrition—they take in whole food and then digest it into smaller particles.

  1. food or nutriment; any substance used or needed for nourishment: Billions of people rely on seafood for essential nutrition.The chart shows nutrition information for each menu item, including fat, protein, and so on.

  2. the science or study of, or a course of study in, nutrition, especially of humans:She has a master's degree in nutrition from the University of Oslo.

  3. the pursuit of this science as an occupation or profession: She now runs a consultancy specializing in naturopathy and nutrition.

Origin of nutrition

1
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Late Latin nūtrītiōn- (stem of nūtrītiō ) “a feeding,” equivalent to Latin nūtrīt(us) (past participle of nūtrīre “to feed”; see nourish) + -iōn- -ion

Other words from nutrition

  • nu·tri·tion·al, nu·tri·tion·ar·y, adjective
  • nu·tri·tion·al·ly, adverb
  • hy·per·nu·tri·tion, noun
  • su·per·nu·tri·tion, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use nutrition in a sentence

  • So milk serves a therapeutic as well as a nutritional purpose.

    Psychotherapy | James J. Walsh
  • Once cleft palates were frequent—prenatal nutritional deficiencies or traumas.

    Accidental Flight | Floyd L. Wallace
  • The nutritional defects may appear chiefly in the walls of the blood vessels and lymphatics.

    Degeneracy | Eugene S. Talbot
  • In the first the nutritional portions were treated, because they are so likely to become putrefied.

  • Of the orders containing bread the fractional part of the nutritional energy of the order from this source averaged 43.7 per cent.

    How to Live | Irving Fisher and Eugene Fisk

British Dictionary definitions for nutrition

nutrition

/ (njuːˈtrɪʃən) /


noun
  1. a process in animals and plants involving the intake of nutrient materials and their subsequent assimilation into the tissues: Related adjectives: alimentary, trophic

  2. the act or process of nourishing

  1. the study of nutrition, esp in humans

Origin of nutrition

1
C16: from Late Latin nūtrītiō, from nūtrīre to nourish

Derived forms of nutrition

  • nutritional or rare nutritionary, adjective
  • nutritionally, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for nutrition

nutrition

[ nōō-trĭshən ]


  1. The process by which living organisms obtain food and use it for growth, metabolism, and repair. The stages of nutrition include ingestion, digestion, absorption, transport, assimilation, and excretion.

  2. The scientific study of food and nourishment, including food composition, dietary guidelines, and the roles that various nutrients have in maintaining health.

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