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

Although small amounts of apple seeds are unlikely to cause harm, chewing or swallowing several can sometimes irritate your digestive system. —Lindsay Curtis, Health, 12 Nov. 2025

Physical activity redirects blood away from the digestive system to the muscles, which can potentially cause cramps or nausea. —Aubrey Bailey, Verywell Health, 12 Nov. 2025

The gut–brain connection refers to the two-way communication between the digestive system and the brain through nerves, hormones and gut microbes, according to the National Institutes of Health. —Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 8 Nov. 2025

The same holds true in the most complex surgical field of the digestive system. —Dr. Victor Raúl Castillo Mantilla, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025

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