stomach
Americannoun
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stomachs
plural
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Anatomy, Zoology.
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a saclike enlargement of the alimentary canal, as in humans and certain animals, forming an organ for storing, diluting, and digesting food.
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such an organ or an analogous portion of the alimentary canal when divided into two or more sections or parts.
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any one of these sections.
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Zoology. any analogous digestive cavity or tract in invertebrates.
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the part of the body containing the stomach; belly or abdomen.
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appetite for food.
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desire, inclination, or liking.
I have no stomach for this trip.
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Obsolete.
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spirit; courage.
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pride; haughtiness.
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resentment; anger.
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verb (used with object)
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stomachs,
present (3rd person singular)
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stomached,
past participle, past
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stomaching
present participle
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to endure or tolerate (someone or something).
I can't stomach your constant nagging.
- Synonyms:
- countenance, abide, stand, bear
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Obsolete. to be offended at or resent.
noun
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(in vertebrates) the enlarged muscular saclike part of the alimentary canal in which food is stored until it has been partially digested and rendered into chyme
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the corresponding digestive organ in invertebrates
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the abdominal region
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desire, appetite, or inclination
I have no stomach for arguments
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an archaic word for temper
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an obsolete word for pride
verb
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to tolerate; bear
I can't stomach his bragging
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to eat or digest
he cannot stomach oysters
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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stomachsimple
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stomachssimple
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have stomachedperfect
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has stomachedperfect
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am stomachingprogressive
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are stomachingprogressive
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is stomachingprogressive
-
have been stomachingperfect progressive
-
has been stomachingperfect progressive
Past
-
stomachedsimple
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had stomachedperfect
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was stomachingprogressive
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were stomachingprogressive
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had been stomachingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of stomach
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English stomak, from Latin stomachus “gullet, stomach,” from Greek stómachos originally, “opening”; akin to stoma
Explanation
The stomach is the organ of your body — kind of a big sac — that digests food. We also say people have a stomach for something unpleasant when they can handle it. Without a stomach, you'd be in trouble: that's where your food gets digested and turned into useful material your body can use for energy. If you ever got punched in the stomach or had a stomach ache, it can hurt a lot. Also, stomach can mean having a hunger, or at least tolerance, for something. If you can't stomach watching football, then you can't stand watching it. If you have a stomach for something, you can swallow it.
Vocabulary lists containing stomach
Nutrition and Digestion - Introductory
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Nutrition and Digestion - High School
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Nutrition and Digestion - Middle School
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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.
See Examples For:
At age 13, I developed a sharp pain in my stomach.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
Using modern analytical techniques, researchers identified several internal organs, including the stomach, liver and intestines.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 29, 2026
So far, tech stocks have proved they can stomach rising Treasury yields, Stockton said.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 27, 2026
Angurweet is used as a remedy for ailments including stomach ache.
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026
My stomach began to roll now, and I thought I was going to be sick all over the place.
From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott
The research was prompted over concerns birds could "starve" if they confuse the nurdles for food and fill their stomachs.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
He wanted it to be easier to clean up when players dug so deep that they emptied their stomachs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
The author also points out that carbonated water can affect the digestive system, especially in people with sensitive stomachs or existing gastrointestinal issues.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 17, 2026
However, Clements said she had been taught by Asare to put babies on their stomachs.
From BBC ● Mar. 23, 2026
The rest of the kids tightened their stomachs, opened their mouths, and tried to figure out how to explain a belch.
From "The View From Saturday" by E.L. Konigsburg
Venture-capital firms have stomached vast losses in part because OpenAI and Anthropic are among the fastest-growing businesses in the history of tech.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 6, 2026
And the Pac-12 championship defeat to the Utes could be easily stomached due to Williams’ hamstring injury which limited his transcendence for one half.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2023
McDonald's engineered a relatively smooth sale to Govor for an undisclosed fee, but stomached a non-cash charge of $1.4 billion and forfeited $300 million in annual operating income.
From Reuters ● Dec. 16, 2022
In earlier years, teams stomached just about anything from the head coach so long as he kept the victories coming.
From New York Times ● Aug. 3, 2018
And the royalty would be a weak stomached lot if they gained not even extra corn for all their sceptre waving, and royal nods;––eh?
From The Flute of the Gods by Marah Ellis Ryan
Yet many workers aren’t so sure; they’re having a hard time stomaching the uncertainty.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026
Investing in an IPO means stomaching the potential for volatility in early trading.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026
While Ms Bannister is stomaching her new bill, and Ms Martin is going without healthcare, others are resorting to different government programmes to get their coverage.
From BBC ● Jan. 1, 2026
And after stomaching a bombardment of body blows, the Huskies were unable to answer, producing back-to-back punts in the second half.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 18, 2023
At this moment, one of the enemy, who had been annoying us from a thicket some thirty paces from where I stood, not stomaching the grape, made a movement from his hiding-place.
From Memoirs of the Extraordinary Military Career of John Shipp Late a Lieut. in His Majesty's 87th Regiment by John Shipp
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.
