digestive system

noun

: the bodily system concerned with the ingestion, digestion, and absorption of food and the discharge of residual wastes and consisting of the digestive tract and accessory glands (such as the salivary glands and the pancreas) that secrete digestive enzymes

Examples of digestive system in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The fruit upsets their digestive systems. —Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 7 June 2026

The gut microbiome is a continuously working ecosystem of various microbes inside your digestive system. —Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Martha Stewart, 6 June 2026

Gradually adding more fiber and drinking enough water can help the digestive system adjust more comfortably. —Brianna Tobritzhofer, Health, 4 June 2026

Adrenaline speeds up peristalsis, the contractions and constrictions of the intestines, while blood is diverted from the digestive system, which can cause nausea. —Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 3 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1790, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for digestive system

• cryptosystem
• ecosystem
• intersystem
• multisystem
• photosystem
• subsystem

Kids Definition

digestive system

noun

: the bodily system concerned with the intake, breakdown, and absorption of food and the discharge of wastes and that includes the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, intestine, anus, and glands (as the salivary glands)

Medical Definition

digestive system

noun

: the bodily system concerned with the ingestion, digestion, and absorption of food and the discharge of residual wastes and consisting of the digestive tract and accessory glands (such as the salivary glands and the pancreas) that secrete digestive enzymes

called also alimentary system