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

Their alluring quality belies their extreme toxicity; at times used as a hallucinogen, their ingestion can cause severe mental confusion and even death. — Tatiane De Assis, ARTnews.com, 21 Oct. 2026

Very little cadmium is absorbed through the skin; ingestion and inhalation pose greater risks. — Bilin Lin, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026

In development for 15 years, the batteries are also coated in a bitterant to discourage swallowing and feature a color alert technology that turns mouths blue after ingestion. — Eliza Thompson, Time, 15 Oct. 2026

Heavy, uninterrupted nicotine ingestion can trigger blood pressure spikes, elevated heart rates, sleep disruption and heightened anxiety. — Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2026

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