Dictionary

digestion en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /dɪˈd͡ʒɛst͡ʃən/
• (US) audio
• /daɪˈd͡ʒɛst͡ʃən/

Etymology

From Old French digestion. Partly displaced native Old English melting (“melting, digestion”).

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The process, in the gastrointestinal tract, by which food is converted into substances that can be used by the body.
   • In the dead state all is apparently without motion. No agent within indicates design, intelligence, or foresight: there is no respiration; no digestion, circulation, or nutrition; […] 1822, John Barclay, chapter I, in An Inquiry Into the Opinions, Ancient and Modern, Concerning Life and Organization, Edinburgh; London: Bell & Bradfute; Waugh & Innes; G. & W. B. Whittaker, section I, page 2:
   • Mostly, the microbiome is beneficial. It helps with digestion and enables people to extract a lot more calories from their food than would otherwise be possible. Research over the past few years, however, has implicated it in diseases from atherosclerosis to asthma to autism. 2013 June 29, “A punch in the gut”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8842, pages 72–3:
   • As for Grierson, he poured liquor into himself as if it were so much soothing syrup, demonstrating that a good digestion is the highest form of good conscience. 1938, Norman Lindsay, Age of Consent, 1st Australian edition, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1962, →OCLC, page 159:
2. (countable, uncountable) The result of this process.
3. (countable, uncountable) The ability to use this process.
4. (countable, uncountable) The processing of decay in organic matter assisted by microorganisms.
5. (countable, uncountable) The assimilation and understanding of ideas.
6. (archaic, countable, uncountable) Generation of pus; suppuration.
7. (countable, uncountable) Dissolution of a sample into a solution by means of adding acid and heat.

Forms

Deriveds

exodigestion · digestional · autodigestion · overdigestion · redigestion · undigestion · nondigestion · mechanical digestion · predigestion · postdigestion · maldigestion · biodigestion · codigestion · aerodigestion

Relateds

digest · digestible · digester

Translations (135)

pt digestão (process in gastrointestinal tract) · la digestio (process in gastrointestinal tract) · sv matspjälkning (process in gastrointestinal tract) · fi ruuansulatus (process in gastrointestinal tract) · it digestione (process in gastrointestinal tract) · is melting (process in gastrointestinal tract) · mn хоолны шингэц (process in gastrointestinal tract) · nl assimilatie (assimilation and understanding of ideas) · es putrefacción (processing of decay in organic matter assisted by microorganisms) · dsb póžywanje (process in gastrointestinal tract) · cs trávení (process in gastrointestinal tract) · kk асқорыту (process in gastrointestinal tract) · es descomposición (processing of decay in organic matter assisted by microorganisms) · gd meirbheadh (result of this process) · he עיכול \ עִכּוּל (process in gastrointestinal tract) · fa هضم (process in gastrointestinal tract) · lo ການຍ່ອຽອາຫານ (process in gastrointestinal tract) · grc πέψις (process in gastrointestinal tract) · az həzm (process in gastrointestinal tract) · gl dixestión (process in gastrointestinal tract) · el αποσύνθεση (processing of decay in organic matter assisted by microorganisms) · it digestione (result of this process) · ro digestie (result of this process) · es digestión (result of this process) · gl asimilación (assimilation and understanding of ideas) · et seedimine (process in gastrointestinal tract) · sh varenje (process in gastrointestinal tract) · cy traul (process in gastrointestinal tract) · ur ہضم (process in gastrointestinal tract) · tk siňdiriş (process in gastrointestinal tract) · hy մարսողություն (process in gastrointestinal tract) · sa पाचन (process in gastrointestinal tract) · fa گوارش (process in gastrointestinal tract) · vo dicet (process in gastrointestinal tract) · id pencernaan (process in gastrointestinal tract) · tg ҳазм (process in gastrointestinal tract) · nn fordøying (process in gastrointestinal tract) · km ជីរណា (process in gastrointestinal tract) · nn melting (process in gastrointestinal tract) · gd meirbheadh (process in gastrointestinal tract) · nl verwerven (assimilation and understanding of ideas) · mk варење (process in gastrointestinal tract) · gl descomposición (processing of decay in organic matter assisted by microorganisms) · az mənimsəmə (process in gastrointestinal tract) · el πέψη (process in gastrointestinal tract) · gd meirbheadh (ability to use this process) · be стравава́нне (process in gastrointestinal tract) · eo digesto (process in gastrointestinal tract) · ka მონელება (process in gastrointestinal tract) · it assimilazione (assimilation and understanding of ideas) · el αφομοίωση (assimilation and understanding of ideas) · nl vertering (processing of decay in organic matter assisted by microorganisms) · nl vertering (process in gastrointestinal tract) · hsb požiwanje (process in gastrointestinal tract) · ur ہاضمہ (process in gastrointestinal tract) · cmn 消化 (process in gastrointestinal tract) · es digestión (process in gastrointestinal tract) · de Verdauung (process in gastrointestinal tract) · vi hệ tiêu hóa (process in gastrointestinal tract) · fy spiisfertarring (process in gastrointestinal tract) · es asimilación (assimilation and understanding of ideas) · sv matsmältning (process in gastrointestinal tract) · hi हाज़मा (process in gastrointestinal tract) · kmr heriskirin (process in gastrointestinal tract) · nl verwerving (assimilation and understanding of ideas) · km ការរំលាយអាហារ (process in gastrointestinal tract) · kmr herisîn (process in gastrointestinal tract) · nn matmelting (process in gastrointestinal tract) · te జీర్ణము (process in gastrointestinal tract) · it decomposizione (processing of decay in organic matter assisted by microorganisms) · pl trawienie (process in gastrointestinal tract) · fi hajottaminen (processing of decay in organic matter assisted by microorganisms) · ps هضم (process in gastrointestinal tract) · ang melting (process in gastrointestinal tract) · bg храносмилане (ability to use this process) · hi हज़म (process in gastrointestinal tract) · es digestión (assimilation and understanding of ideas) · kmr heris (process in gastrointestinal tract) · ka ათვისება (assimilation and understanding of ideas) · mwl digeston (process in gastrointestinal tract) · ja 消化 (process in gastrointestinal tract) · gl dixestión (result of this process) · uk тра́влення (process in gastrointestinal tract) · vo dicetam (process in gastrointestinal tract) · lt virškinimas (process in gastrointestinal tract) · vi sự tiêu hóa (process in gastrointestinal tract) · el χώνεψη (process in gastrointestinal tract) · ml ദഹനം (process in gastrointestinal tract) · af spysvertering (process in gastrointestinal tract) · el πέψη (result of this process) · rue діґесція (process in gastrointestinal tract) · arz هضم (process in gastrointestinal tract) · nah tlatemohuiliztli (process in gastrointestinal tract) · ps هاضمه (process in gastrointestinal tract) · sa जीर्ण (process in gastrointestinal tract) · fo sodning (process in gastrointestinal tract) · nl spijsvertering (process in gastrointestinal tract) · tr sindirim (process in gastrointestinal tract) · ms pencernaan (process in gastrointestinal tract) · it digestione (processing of decay in organic matter assisted by microorganisms) · hu emésztés (process in gastrointestinal tract) · fr digestion (process in gastrointestinal tract) · sl prebava (process in gastrointestinal tract) · nb fordøyelse (process in gastrointestinal tract) · sk trávenie (process in gastrointestinal tract) · fy fertarring (process in gastrointestinal tract) · bg храносми́лане (process in gastrointestinal tract) · sh варење (process in gastrointestinal tract) · ar هَضْم (process in gastrointestinal tract) · ko 소화 (process in gastrointestinal tract) · bn পরিপাক (process in gastrointestinal tract) · ky сиңирүү (process in gastrointestinal tract) · ro digestie (process in gastrointestinal tract) · ky тамак сиңирүү (process in gastrointestinal tract) · rue травлїня (process in gastrointestinal tract) · af vertering (process in gastrointestinal tract) · th การย่อยอาหาร (process in gastrointestinal tract) · kk қорыту (process in gastrointestinal tract) · kmr hezm (process in gastrointestinal tract) · ga díleá (process in gastrointestinal tract) · hi पाचन (process in gastrointestinal tract) · fi ruoansulatus (process in gastrointestinal tract) · el χώνεψη (result of this process) · lv gremošana (process in gastrointestinal tract) · uz hazm (process in gastrointestinal tract) · ru переварива́ние (process in gastrointestinal tract) · te హరాయించుకొను (assimilation and understanding of ideas) · mk дигестија (process in gastrointestinal tract) · ps هضمېدنه (process in gastrointestinal tract) · nl verteren (processing of decay in organic matter assisted by microorganisms) · mi whakangawheretanga (process in gastrointestinal tract) · da fordøjelse (process in gastrointestinal tract) · ru пищеваре́ние (process in gastrointestinal tract) · sq tretje (process in gastrointestinal tract) · es digestión (ability to use this process)