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

The gut microbiome is the community of microbes (like bacteria and yeast) that live throughout your digestive tract. —Qin Rao, Verywell Health, 4 June 2025

Some will lubricate the digestive tract, helping prevent a buildup of hair, others are laxative that keeps the passages flowing. —Joan Morris, Mercury News, 12 May 2025

The researchers theorized that this may have been due to green tea's anti-inflammatory effects on the digestive tract. —Sarah Bence, Verywell Health, 6 June 2025

Gut hormones are chemical messengers made by special cells in the digestive tract that help control digestive functions. —Paul Von Zielbauer, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2025

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