digestion

noun

di·ges·tion | \ dī-ˈjes-chən

, də-, -ˈjesh-\

Definition of digestion

: the action, process, or power of digesting: such as

a : the process of making food absorbable by mechanically and enzymatically breaking it down into simpler chemical compounds in the digestive tract

b : the process in sewage treatment by which organic matter in sludge is decomposed by anaerobic bacteria with the release of a burnable mixture of gases

Examples of digestion in a Sentence

an enzyme that aids in the digestion of protein She began to suffer from poor digestion as she grew older.

Recent Examples on the Web

One is your activity level, because exercise can help move digestion along. — Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, "How Much Fiber Should I Be Eating to Feel Regular?," 30 May 2019 Antacids can reduce protein digestion in the stomach, Mitre explained, which may lead to food allergies. — Alan Mozes, chicagotribune.com, "Babies given antacids, antibiotics may have higher risk for allergies, asthma," 3 Apr. 2018 Drinking blood is an unusual diet, and research published last year showed that vampire finches have evolved specialized bacteria in their guts to aid digestion. — Joshua Sokol, New York Times, "The Vampire Birds of the Galápagos Have Fascinating Inner Lives," 8 June 2019 The investigators believe this microbial recorder could eventually be used for sensing abnormalities in bodily functions such as digestion, for measuring pollutant levels in oceans or for detecting nutrient changes in soil. — Yasemin Saplakoglu, Scientific American, "Bacterial "Tape Recorder" Could Keep Tabs on Bodily Functions," 7 Feb. 2018 But populations descended from those that domesticated milk-producing animals such as goats and cattle often retain lactose-digestion into adulthood. — The Economist, "Modern humans may be evolving to deal with carbohydrate-rich diets," 7 June 2019 Among its functions, somatostatin inhibits production of insulin and growth hormone, and slows digestion. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "How old are your organs? Salk, UCSD mouse study finds human clues," 6 June 2019 Again, how long digestion takes depends on the kinds of carbs involved. — Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, "Here's What Carbs Actually Do in Your Body," 23 May 2019 It’s being wrongly touted as a way to cure hangovers, aid digestion and detox the body. — Laura Daily, The Seattle Times, "How charcoal escaped the grill and ended up in your bathroom," 12 Apr. 2019

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

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Dictionary Entries near digestion

digestion coefficient

digestive

digestive gland

Statistics for digestion

Last Updated

10 Jul 2019

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Time Traveler for digestion

The first known use of digestion was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for digestion

digestion

noun

English Language Learners Definition of digestion

: the process by which food is changed to a simpler form after it is eaten

See the full definition for digestion in the English Language Learners Dictionary

digestion

noun

di·ges·tion | \ dī-ˈjes-chən

, də-\

Kids Definition of digestion

: the body's process or power of changing food into simpler forms that can be taken up and used

digestion

noun

di·ges·tion | \ dī-ˈjes(h)-chən, də-

Medical Definition of digestion

: the action, process, or power of digesting especially : the process of making food absorbable by mechanically and enzymatically breaking it down into simpler chemical compounds in the digestive tract