large intestine

noun

: the more terminal division of the vertebrate intestine that is wider and shorter than the small intestine, typically divided into cecum, colon, and rectum, and concerned especially with the resorption of water and the formation of feces

Examples of large intestine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The appendix is a small pouch branching off the first section of the large intestine. —Lilia Goncharova, The Conversation, 9 Mar. 2026

Much of the increase in younger adults is occurring in the rectum and the lower part of the large intestine closest to the rectum, marking a shift from prior generations, when cancers were more often found in the upper part of the colon closer to the small intestine, the researchers said. —Dr. Ishani D. Premaratne, ABC News, 2 Mar. 2026

Like a monstrous earthworm or a section of large intestine, the pink end of the tube seems to undulate in waves of peristaltic movement, pushing its invisible contents from end to end. —Gordon Hughes, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2026

This fibrous gel later gets broken down by bacteria in the large intestine, which ends up providing a small amount of calories, per the FDA. —Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, 23 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1724, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for large intestine

• clandestine
• progestin

Kids Definition

large intestine

noun

: the last part of the intestine which is wider and shorter than the small intestine, which consists of the cecum, colon, and rectum, and which absorbs water from the material left over from digestion and prepares the feces for release from the body

Medical Definition

large intestine

noun

: the more terminal division of the vertebrate intestine that is wider and shorter than the small intestine, typically divided into cecum, colon, and rectum, and concerned especially with the resorption of water and the formation of feces