ingestion

noun

in·​ges·​tion in-ˈjes-chən 

-ˈjesh-

: the act or process of taking in something for or as if for digestion : the act or process of ingesting something

A Cochrane review showed that ingestion of cranberry products may decrease the number of symptomatic urinary tract infections in women …

—Giovanni Montini et al.

Celiac disease is the immune-mediated response to ingestion of gluten from wheat, rye and barley that damages the small intestine.

—Valerie Putnam

After two years of almost manic ingestion of book after book—Montaigne, Milton, Seneca, Dante—he began to write Moby-Dick.

—Andrew Delbanco

Examples of ingestion in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

And although the data is stronger because of the large number of reports researchers analyzed, instances of ingestion are likely underreported to poison control centers — because families have to think to make the report after something bad happens, Hays said. —Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025

Additionally, many products are marketed to mimic popular snacks and candies, leading to accidental ingestion by consumers and children. —A.j. Herrington, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025

This is mostly an issue of scale: no single author is reading with anywhere near the speed and volume of these companies’ ingestion of material. —James Folta, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2025

The agency also reported instances of the counterfeit toys breaking apart and releasing small pieces that could become ingestion or choking hazards. —Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1620, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for ingestion

• congestion
• digestion
• suggestion
• gestion
• question
• indigestion

Medical Definition

ingestion

noun

in·​ges·​tion in-ˈjes(h)-chən 

: the taking of material (as food) into the digestive system