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

Changes in food, water, and routine while traveling can throw your digestive system off, leading to problems like bloating or travelers’ diarrhea. — T'keyah Bazin, Verywell Health, 17 July 2026

How plants poisonous to dogs cause harm Not all toxic plants affect dogs the same way, but many share similar chemicals that attack the digestive system. — Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 July 2026

The compatibility between their shapes allows lactase to break lactose apart into its simple sugar components, which are more easily managed by the digestive system. — Quanta Magazine, 15 July 2026

The resulting illness, cyclosporiasis, causes bouts of diarrhea that, if left untreated, can wreak havoc on the digestive system for a month. — Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 11 July 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