digestive tract

noun

: the tubular passage typically extending from the mouth to the anus or cloaca that functions in digestion and absorption of food and elimination of residual waste and that in most mammals includes the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, intestine, and anus

called also alimentary canal, alimentary tract

Examples of digestive tract in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These medications can delay gastric emptying and slow down your digestive tract, which means getting enough fiber is key to keeping things moving and staying comfortable. —Lauren Manaker, SELF, 10 Mar. 2026

Better Balanced Blood Sugar The fermentation process used to make sourdough produces organic acids, such as lactic and acetic acids, which help slow the absorption of starch in the digestive tract. —Jillian Kubala, Health, 9 Mar. 2026

Devices such as PillCam allow doctors to view images from inside the digestive tract without threading a scope through the entire system. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 7 Mar. 2026

Dubbed Antscan, the platform features micrometer-resolution reconstructions that lay bare not only the insects’ armored exoskeletons but also their muscles, nerves, digestive tracts, and needle-like stingers poised at the ready. —IEEE Spectrum, 5 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1842, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for digestive tract

• abstract
• attacked
• attract
• contact
• contract
• detract
• distract
• enact
• exact
• extract
• hijacked
• impact

Medical Definition

digestive tract

noun

: the tubular passage typically extending from mouth to anus or cloaca that functions in digestion and absorption of food and elimination of residual waste and that in most mammals includes the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, intestine, and anus

called also alimentary canal, alimentary tract