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

Death cap mushrooms contain amanita toxins that prevent the production of proteins in liver cells, leading to cell death and possible liver failure from about two days after ingestion. —Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 7 July 2025

There are more than 3,500 annual cases of button battery ingestion in the US, and the numbers, CHOP says, are rising. —Cara Lynn Shultz, People.com, 2 July 2025

For even short periods of ingestion, microplastics accrue in the digestive tract, primarily the cecum which is the pouch between the small intestine and colon. —Suwanna Gauntlett Upjohn, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025

Symptoms of poison hemlock ingestion can include: Salivation Vomiting Diarrhea Muscular weakness Paralysis Nervousness Trembling Dilation of pupils Weak pulse Convulsions Coma Touching poison hemlock can also lead to contact dermatitis in people with sensitive skin, according to Cleveland Clinic. —Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 27 May 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