small intestine

noun

: the narrow part of the intestine that lies between the stomach and colon, consists of duodenum, jejunum, and ileum, secretes digestive enzymes, and is the chief site of the digestion of food into small molecules which are absorbed into the body

Examples of small intestine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Doctors had to remove parts of his colon and small intestine. — Cybele Mayes-Osterman, ABC News, 21 July 2026

Employees told Fillmore during the early 2022 meeting that Shapiro had recently injured a patient’s common bile duct, a small tube that carries bile from the liver and gallbladder to the small intestine, during surgery. — Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 16 July 2026

What allows many people to digest dairy products is a chainlike enzyme called lactase, which is produced in the small intestine and fits together like a puzzle piece with the complex sugar in milk called lactose. — Quanta Magazine, 15 July 2026

Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite (Cyclospora cayetanensis) that infects the small intestine after people consume contaminated food or water, according to the CDC. — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 15 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1767, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for small intestine

• clandestine
• progestin

Kids Definition

small intestine

noun

: the long narrow part of the intestine between the stomach and the colon in which food is mostly digested, from which digested food is absorbed into the body, and which consists of the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum

Medical Definition

small intestine

noun

: the part of the intestine that lies between the stomach and colon, consists of duodenum, jejunum, and ileum, secretes digestive enzymes, and is the chief site of the absorption of digested nutrients

called also small bowel