ingestion

noun

in·​ges·​tion in-ˈjes-chən How to pronounce ingestion (audio)
-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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Lead ingestion is toxic for young children and may cause a range of serious health effects, including developmental delays and neurological damage, the CPSC said in the recall announcement. Matt Cannon, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025 One contentious issue heading into the contract expiration date (September 30, though it was subsequently extended as talks continued) was about the ingestion of Peacock programming into the main YouTube TV experience. Dade Hayes, Deadline, 2 Oct. 2025 Due to a lack of data, many of these thresholds were based on child ingestion, not inhalation. Nina Dietz, Wired News, 27 Sep. 2025 Thousands of infant and kids' products sold on Amazon have been recalled recently for posing serious safety risks, including suffocation and battery ingestion. Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ingestion

Word History

First Known Use

1620, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ingestion was in 1620

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Cite this Entry

“Ingestion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ingestion. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

Medical Definition

ingestion

noun
in·​ges·​tion in-ˈjes(h)-chən How to pronounce ingestion (audio)
: the taking of material (as food) into the digestive system

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