digestion

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 Diagnosed at age 3, Joey's muscle weakness affects everything from his swallowing and digestion to his ability to regulate body temperature. — Holly V. Hays, Indianapolis Star, "Terminally ill boy's Christmas wish to help others granted with help from anonymous donors," 23 Dec. 2019 Many nut allergens have the ability to evade digestion to some degree. — Dwan Price, Quartz, "Why peanuts are so much worse than other allergies," 18 Dec. 2019 For pancreatitis, it’s damage of the pancreas that makes digestion difficult. — Kasandra Brabaw, Health.com, "What Does it Mean When Your Poop Floats? Asking For a Friend," 19 Nov. 2019 Second, the various herbs and botanicals in the tincture fix the rocky digestion. — Lisa Futterman, chicagotribune.com, "Bitters and soda, the classic combination, now comes in a can and it’s being embraced by those cutting back on drinking," 5 Nov. 2019 Only after the silent digestion of the memo—which can be an anxiety-inducing stretch for its authors—can the group ask questions about the document. — Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, "Jeff Bezos’s Master Plan," 10 Oct. 2019 Round, soft, chewy black orbs made of salt, sugar, cumin, amchur (mango powder), and ajwain (carom seeds) that happen to aid in digestion. — Priya Krishna, Bon Appétit, "I Pop These Digestive Pills Like Candy (Because They Basically Are)," 7 Sep. 2019 Every variety of peach carries anti-inflammatory and antifungal benefits, and eating a peach even can aid in digestion and allergy relief. — Callie Blount, al, "How to make homemade peach frozen yogurt," 15 Aug. 2019 Cooking or soaking the spinach first reduces how much of this compound gets absorbed during digestion. — Jaclyn London, Ms, Rd, Cdn, Good Housekeeping, "Spinach Is the Legit Superfood You Need in Your Life," 22 Mar. 2018

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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Learn More about digestion

Dictionary Entries near digestion

digestion coefficient

digestive

digestive gland

Statistics for digestion

Last Updated

9 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Digestion.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/digestion. Accessed 18 January 2020.

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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

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