aliment

noun

al·i·ment | \ ˈa-lə-mənt

Definition of aliment

(Entry 1 of 2)

: food, nutriment also : sustenance there was nothing there of conversational aliment — Kingsley Amis

aliment

verb

al·i·ment | \ -ˌment

alimented; alimenting; aliments

Definition of aliment (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: to give aliment to : nourish, sustain

Synonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about aliment

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Did You Know?

Noun

These days you're most likely to encounter "aliment" as a typo for "ailment," but the word was less of a rarity in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. And the word's history goes back even further than that. It dates to the 15th century and comes from Latin alere, meaning "to nourish," by way of "alimentum." Although "aliment" is uncommon in today's English, you may recognize it in the somewhat technical term "alimentary canal"-the name for the long tube in the body through which food passes after it is eaten. "Aliment" also functions as a verb meaning "to give aliment to," or "to nourish or sustain."

Examples of aliment in a Sentence

Noun

complained that he had to drive for hours to find any sort of cultural aliment when visiting his parents' rural home

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

His main research goal is tuning video games to combat neurological aliments, including dementia and ADHD. — Rob Reid, Ars Technica, "Ars on your lunch break: Repairing your brain with video games," 10 Oct. 2018 Immobility during a hospital stay is linked to delirium, long-term disabilities and hospital readmission, and is widely considered a preventable aliment. — Lisa Ward, WSJ, "Do Doctors and Nurses Skip Hand Washing? Cue the Video," 28 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'aliment.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.