digestive tract

noun

: the tubular passage typically extending from the mouth to the anus or cloaca that functions in digestion and absorption of food and elimination of residual waste and that in most mammals includes the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, intestine, and anus

called also alimentary canal, alimentary tract

Examples of digestive tract in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Caffeine and other substances in coffee change how the digestive tract absorbs, digests, and excretes food and drugs. —Sohaib Imtiaz, Verywell Health, 31 Mar. 2025

Raw eggs contain avidin, a protein that binds to biotin in the digestive tract, preventing its absorption.1 Certain medications, such as antiseizure medications and isotretinoin, an acne medication, can cause low biotin levels. —Jillian Kubala, Health, 27 Mar. 2025

In reality, Denner had endometriosis—a disease that affects about 10 percent of women of reproductive age—and a particularly aggressive form, with excess tissue infiltrating her vaginal area and digestive tract. —Shreyas Teegala, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Mar. 2025

The cherries ferment in the elephant’s digestive tract, where acids and enzymes break down bitterness. —Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1842, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for digestive tract

• abstract
• attacked
• attract
• contact
• contract
• detract
• distract
• enact
• exact
• extract
• hijacked
• impact

Medical Definition

digestive tract

noun

: the tubular passage typically extending from mouth to anus or cloaca that functions in digestion and absorption of food and elimination of residual waste and that in most mammals includes the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, intestine, and anus

called also alimentary canal, alimentary tract