alimentary
adjective
Examples of alimentary in a Sentence
George Johnson, Discover Magazine, 7 Nov. 2013
Feces from axenic cockroaches (no microorganisms in the alimentary tract) lacked 12 major fecal VCAs, and 24 of the remaining compounds were represented at extremely low amounts.
—Seriously Science, Discover Magazine, 17 Dec. 2015
My only regret is not having the alimentary bandwidth to try this.
—Kim Westerman, Forbes, 15 June 2022
The film follows a sonic collective trio with rocky interpersonal dynamics, who take up residency at an institute devoted to culinary and alimentary performance and have to answer to the institute’s head, who has her own opinions about their work.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 10 Feb. 2022
Diarrhea in aging cats can indicate hyperthyroidism or alimentary lymphoma.
—Star Tribune, 23 July 2021
More recently, in Phase I (from 27 years ago), cashew residue on stones suggests the monkeys were moving towards their present-day alimentary focus.
—The Economist, 27 June 2019
The Ember will encourage and enable alimentary experimentation.
—Justin Peters, Slate Magazine, 20 Dec. 2017
By the standard alimentary sequence, insects feed on plants or one another, and then birds hunt down insects.
—Natalie Angier, New York Times, 22 Sep. 2017
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'alimentary.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
borrowed from French & New Latin; French alimentaire "relating to nourishment," going back to Middle French, borrowed from New Latin alimentārius, going back to Latin "relating to maintenance by charity, supported by charity," from alimentum "food, sustenance" + -ārius -ary entry 2 — more at aliment entry 1
1608, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing alimentary
Dictionary Entries Near alimentary
Cite this Entry
“Alimentary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alimentary. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
alimentary
adjective
from Latin alimentarius "relating to or involving the nourishing process," derived from alere "to nourish" — related to alumnus, alma mater
Medical Definition
alimentary
adjective
More from Merriam-Webster on alimentary
Nglish: Translation of alimentary for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of alimentary for Arabic Speakers
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