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

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 Once in your stomach, freekeh acts as a prebiotic, stimulating the growth of healthy bacteria that aid digestion. — Leah Zerbe, Good Housekeeping, "The 11 Healthiest Whole Grains You Should Be Eating," 17 July 2018 Bacteria play many crucial roles in human life, from supplying essential nutrients to helping with digestion. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "New Coating Keeps ISS Toilet Door Almost-Bacteria Free," 19 Mar. 2019 There's even daily detox teas to support digestion. — Glamour, "The 11 Best Healthy Food Delivery Services When You Just Can't With Grocery Shopping," 2 Jan. 2019 Carnivores can physically eat plants, no its not unusual to find some inside them, but digestion is another issue. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "There's an Omnivore Shark That Loves Eating Plants," 7 Sep. 2018 There is a breath monitor to tell you more about your digestion and an at-home sperm test that produces a live video of your sample. — Katherine Bindley, WSJ, "Gadgets Get Up Close and Personal at Annual International Tech Fair," 6 Jan. 2019 These studies proved that music could lower blood pressure, decrease pulse rate and assists the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for digestion and some metabolic processes. — Nicole Dellert, Allure, "I Tried a Sound Bath — Here's What This Meditative Practice Is Really Like," 24 Oct. 2018 The animal waste in the lagoons undergoes anaerobic digestion, where microorganisms break down many of the substances into carbon dioxide and methane. — Umair Irfan, Vox, "Florence dropped so much rain that hog waste is spilling out of lagoons," 18 Sep. 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.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about digestion

Dictionary Entries near digestion

digestion coefficient

digestive

digestive gland

Statistics for digestion

Last Updated

15 May 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for digestion

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

See more words from the same century

Keep scrolling for more

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