intestine
Americannoun
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intestines
plural
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Usually intestines. the lower part of the alimentary canal, extending from the pylorus to the anus.
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Also called small intestine. the narrow, longer part of the intestines, comprising the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum, that serves to digest and absorb nutrients.
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Also called large intestine. the broad, shorter part of the intestines, comprising the cecum, colon, and rectum, that absorbs water from and eliminates the residues of digestion.
adjective
noun
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The muscular tube that forms the part of the digestive tract extending from the stomach to the anus and consisting of the small and large intestines. In the intestine, nutrients and water from digested food are absorbed and waste products are solidified into feces.
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See also large intestine small intestine
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of intestine
First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin intestīnum, noun use of neuter of intestīnus “internal,” equivalent to intes- (variant of intus “inside”) + -tīnus adjective suffix; cf. vespertine
Explanation
When you eat food, it first passes into your stomach, and then into your intestine. Fun fact: your large intestine is about five feet long. Makes you wonder why they don't call it your "long intestine" instead. The human intestine is split into two sections: the small intestine and the large intestine. Your intestine's job is to continue breaking down the food you've eaten and absorb nutrients into your bloodstream. Intestine comes from the Latin word intestinum, "gut" or "bowels," which is the neuter form of the adjective intestinus, "inward" or "internal."
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:
A last-minute check of an encyclopedia revealed that it also means part of the intestine, the thing poop moves through, so the “te” was dropped.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
Fox had had parts of his spleen, pancreas, and small and large intestine removed, and yet his tubes and catheter were out and he was already walking with a walker.
From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026
In May 2025 he was placed in an induced coma, rupturing his intestine when he collided with a post during a game against Leicester.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
Infant botulism happens when swallowed spores from the bacterium infect a baby’s large intestine and make a toxin in it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 14, 2026
I could see all its organs: the bluish intestine and the spongy pink pair of lungs.
From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan
The heat-loving parasite infects the intestines and is transmitted through faecal contamination.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
These ulcers are sometimes associated with Helicobacter, a group of bacteria that can live in the stomach and intestines of many animals, including humans and whales.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026
Anti-obesity treatments mimic a hormone secreted by the intestines, GLP-1.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
“It’s in your intestines causing inflammation, causing an immune reaction, which is responsible for the diarrhea,” Adalja said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Yes, it goes right through him, but while it’s coursing through his troubled intestines, some of it must get absorbed.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
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.
