ingestion

noun

in·​ges·​tion in-ˈjes-chən 

-ˈjesh-

: the act or process of taking in something for or as if for digestion : the act or process of ingesting something

A Cochrane review showed that ingestion of cranberry products may decrease the number of symptomatic urinary tract infections in women …

—Giovanni Montini et al.

Celiac disease is the immune-mediated response to ingestion of gluten from wheat, rye and barley that damages the small intestine.

—Valerie Putnam

After two years of almost manic ingestion of book after book—Montaigne, Milton, Seneca, Dante—he began to write Moby-Dick.

—Andrew Delbanco

Examples of ingestion in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

What to do if button battery ingestion occurs When a button battery ingestion is suspected, Cobern said it should be treated as an emergency and a child should be seen by a medical provider immediately. —ABC News, 6 May 2026

Symptoms of contamination typically develop within 30 minutes to 6 hours of ingestion, and include nausea and vomiting. —Paula Wethington, CBS News, 4 May 2026

According to McCauley, ingestion of methamphetamine can quickly become life-threatening for dogs. —Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 25 Apr. 2026

If ingested, symptoms can begin within four to 12 hours after ingestion. —Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 16 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1620, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for ingestion

• congestion
• digestion
• suggestion
• gestion
• question
• indigestion

Medical Definition

ingestion

noun

in·​ges·​tion in-ˈjes(h)-chən 

: the taking of material (as food) into the digestive system