stomach

noun

stom·ach | \ ˈstə-mək

, -mik\

Definition of stomach

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a(1) : a saclike expansion of the digestive tract of a vertebrate that is located between the esophagus and duodenum and typically consists of a simple often curved sac with an outer serous covering, a strong muscular wall that contracts rhythmically, and an inner mucous membrane lining that contains gastric glands

Note: In humans, the stomach is located in the upper abdomen, below the esophagus and above the small intestine. It functions mainly to partially digest food by grinding and mixing it with gastric secretions (such as hydrochloric acid and pepsin). Mucus is also secreted to protect the stomach lining from damage by the acidic environment. Once ingested food has been partially digested by the stomach, it is discharged through the pylorus into the duodenum in the form of the semifluid chyme for further digestion.

(2) : one of the compartments making up the stomach of a ruminant animal (such as a cow or sheep) … the rumen, the largest of the four stomachs in an older animal, is undeveloped at birth and is considerably smaller than the abomasum or true stomach.— Norman Barron

b : a cavity in an invertebrate animal that is analogous to a stomach When a leaf containing the bacteria is ingested by the larva of certain insects, the new gene produces a protein that attacks the stomach lining of the insect and causes death. — The New York Times

c : the part of the body that contains the stomach : belly, abdomen He was punched in the stomach.

2a : desire for food caused by hunger : appetite After the hike, she had a good stomach for lunch.

b : inclination, desire had no stomach for an argument also : courage, guts

3 obsolete

a : spirit, valor

b : pride

c : spleen, resentment

stomach

verb

stomached; stomaching; stomachs

Definition of stomach (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 archaic : to take offense at

2 : to bear without overt reaction or resentment : put up with couldn't stomach office politics

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about stomach

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Examples of stomach in a Sentence

Noun

She has problems with her stomach. I've had enough to eat. My stomach is full. He was lying on his stomach.

Verb

I could barely stomach the smell. I can't stomach raw onions.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

She's been incredibly vulnerable about her journey with depression, and speaks openly about body standards and loving the scars on her stomach, a result of her surgeries. — Maya Allen, Marie Claire, "How Sarah Hyland Found Self-Confidence and Self-Love," 9 May 2019 Kylie recently posted a video of Stormi, now one year old, lying on her stomach in a bounce house. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Here's Why Kylie Jenner's Fans Think She's Pregnant Again," 21 Mar. 2019 Hemsworth seemed pretty attached to his wife, too, and even tickled her stomach. — Nicole Saunders, Harper's BAZAAR, "Miley Cyrus Is "Freakishly Obsessed" with Liam Hemsworth and So Are We TBH," 26 Apr. 2019 Before my retrieval surgery, my stomach became distended. — Hannah Selinger, Glamour, "I Spent $17K Freezing Eggs—And I Regret Every Penny," 22 Apr. 2019 Acid reflux means that the sphincter at the bottom of the esophagus is weak enough to allow stomach contents to reverse course, causing symptoms like heartburn, according to the Mayo Clinic. — Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, "Is Sparkling Water Bad for You in Some Way?," 5 Apr. 2019 Guys of all ages and body types have scrawled the name of their state across their stomachs and shared the photos of their creations online to poke fun at the Maroon 5 frontman. — Kelly O'sullivan, Country Living, "Men Across the Country Are Trolling Adam Levine and His Infamous Tattoos," 10 Feb. 2019 The stomach contents of the corpse, widely known as Oetzi the Iceman, offer a snapshot of what ancient Europeans ate more than five millennia ago, researchers said. — Washington Post, "Ancient ‘Iceman’ shows signs of a well-balanced last meal," 13 July 2018 The stomach contents of the corpse, widely known as Oetzi the Iceman, offer a snapshot of what ancient Europeans ate more than five millennia ago, researchers said. — NBC News, "Insides of ancient 'Iceman' shows signs of a well-balanced last meal," 12 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

When La Croix is out of reach: True Lemon and True Lime Can't stomach plain water? — Michaela Bechler, Vogue, "The Best On-the-Go Snacks to Get Before Holiday Travel Season," 6 Nov. 2018 Cholak continues to eat doughnuts every day, even though many people working at Mike's can no longer stomach them, including Mike himself. — Elena Weissmann, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Meet Rachael Cholak, the girl with the doughnut tattoos," 25 June 2018 The complete inability to upgrade the device is hard to stomach in a notebook this expensive. — Jeff Dunn, Ars Technica, "The Ars Holiday Gift Guide 2018—good tech for the power user in your life," 4 Dec. 2018 It’s much harder to stomach the torrent of bad headlines: a radical restructuring, a management shakeup, a stock in such a tailspin that the overseers of the Dow Jones industrial average gave it the boot this week after more than a century. — Shirley Leung, BostonGlobe.com, "Boston’s bet on GE will still pay off," 27 June 2018 Moderate Republicans couldn't stomach dramatic Medicaid cuts, and conservatives refused to vote for a replacement bill that left too much of the Affordable Care Act intact. — Washington Post, "The Health 202: Conservative activists aren't giving up their Obamacare repeal dream," 29 May 2018 The man couldn't stomach vegetables, especially broccoli. — Lauren Hubbard, Town & Country, "Read the Full Transcript of President George W. Bush's Eulogy for His Father," 5 Dec. 2018 No doubt, this is the part of the sport that is most difficult to stomach. — John Cherwa, latimes.com, "Racing! The sad part of horse racing," 6 July 2018 While Uber and Lyft may be able to stomach a pause in what is Uber’s largest market in the U.S., attempts to replicate these bills in other places may prove to be much more overbearing or sweeping than those passed today in New York. — Johana Bhuiyan, Recode, "Uber lost in NYC. But here’s the real problem.," 8 Aug. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'stomach.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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More Definitions for stomach

stomach

noun

English Language Learners Definition of stomach

(Entry 1 of 2)

: the organ in your body where food goes and begins to be digested after you swallow it

: the part of your body that contains the stomach

: the desire, courage, etc., that is needed to do or accept something difficult or unpleasant

stomach

verb

English Language Learners Definition of stomach (Entry 2 of 2)

: to accept or experience (something unpleasant) without becoming sick, upset, etc.

: to eat (something) without getting a sick or unpleasant feeling in your stomach

See the full definition for stomach in the English Language Learners Dictionary

stomach

noun

stom·ach | \ ˈstə-mək

Kids Definition of stomach

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : the pouch into which food passes from the esophagus for mixing and digestion before passing to the small intestine

2 : the part of the body that contains the stomach : abdomen The ball hit him in the stomach.

3 : desire entry 2 sense 1, liking She had no stomach for trouble.

stomach

verb

stomached; stomaching

Kids Definition of stomach (Entry 2 of 2)

: to bear patiently : put up with I couldn't stomach their rude behavior.

stomach

noun

stom·ach | \ ˈstəm-ək, -ik

Medical Definition of stomach

1a : a saclike expansion of the digestive tract of a vertebrate communicating anteriorly with the esophagus and posteriorly with the duodenum and being typically a simple often curved sac with an outer serous coat, a strong complex muscular wall that contracts rhythmically, and a mucous lining membrane that contains gastric glands

b : one of the compartments of a ruminant stomach the abomasum is the fourth stomach of a ruminant

2 : a cavity in an invertebrate animal that is analogous to a stomach

3 : the part of the body that contains the stomach : belly, abdomen