alimentary

adjective

al·​i·​men·​ta·​ry ˌa-lə-ˈmen-t(ə-)rē 

1

: of or relating to nourishment or nutrition

2

: furnishing sustenance or maintenance

Examples of alimentary in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Victorian culture encouraged women to deny their alimentary appetites. —Rachel Hope Cleves / Made By History, TIME, 14 Feb. 2025

Every gulp of alcohol kills cells that line the alimentary tract. —George Johnson, Discover Magazine, 7 Nov. 2013

Feces from axenic cockroaches (no microorganisms in the alimentary tract) lacked 12 major fecal VCAs, and 24 of the remaining compounds were represented at extremely low amounts. —Seriously Science, Discover Magazine, 17 Dec. 2015

My only regret is not having the alimentary bandwidth to try this. —Kim Westerman, Forbes, 15 June 2022

The film follows a sonic collective trio with rocky interpersonal dynamics, who take up residency at an institute devoted to culinary and alimentary performance and have to answer to the institute’s head, who has her own opinions about their work. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 10 Feb. 2022

Diarrhea in aging cats can indicate hyperthyroidism or alimentary lymphoma. —Star Tribune, 23 July 2021

More recently, in Phase I (from 27 years ago), cashew residue on stones suggests the monkeys were moving towards their present-day alimentary focus. —The Economist, 27 June 2019

The Ember will encourage and enable alimentary experimentation. —Justin Peters, Slate Magazine, 20 Dec. 2017

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French & New Latin; French alimentaire "relating to nourishment," going back to Middle French, borrowed from New Latin alimentārius, going back to Latin "relating to maintenance by charity, supported by charity," from alimentum "food, sustenance" + -ārius -ary entry 2 — more at aliment entry 1

First Known Use

1608, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing alimentary

• alimentary canal
• alimentary tract

Rhymes for alimentary

• complimentary
• documentary
• parliamentary
• rudimentary
• sedimentary
• supplementary
• testamentary
• integumentary
• uncomplimentary
• unparliamentary
• interparliamentary
• metasedimentary

Kids Definition

alimentary

adjective

al·​i·​men·​ta·​ry ˌal-ə-ˈment-ə-rē 

-ˈmen-trē

: of or relating to nourishment or nutrition

Etymology

from Latin alimentarius "relating to or involving the nourishing process," derived from alere "to nourish" — related to alumnus, alma mater

Medical Definition

alimentary

adjective

al·​i·​men·​ta·​ry

ˌal-ə-ˈment-ə-rē, -ˈmen-trē

: of, concerned with, or relating to nourishment or to the function of nutrition : nutritive

alimentary processes of the body