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DIGESTION
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Learning and coming to understand ideas and information
Example:
his appetite for facts was better than his digestion
Classified under:
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents
Hypernyms ("digestion" is a kind of...):
acquisition; learning (the cognitive process of acquiring skill or knowledge)
Derivation:
digest (arrange and integrate in the mind)
Sense 2
Meaning:
The organic process by which food is converted into substances that can be absorbed into the body
Classified under:
Nouns denoting natural processes
Hypernyms ("digestion" is a kind of...):
biological process; organic process (a process occurring in living organisms)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "digestion"):
gastric digestion (the process of breaking down proteins by the action of the gastric juice in the stomach)
Derivation:
digest (convert food into absorbable substances)
Sense 3
Meaning:
The process of decomposing organic matter (as in sewage) by bacteria or by chemical action or heat
Classified under:
Nouns denoting natural processes
Hypernyms ("digestion" is a kind of...):
chemical action; chemical change; chemical process ((chemistry) any process determined by the atomic and molecular composition and structure of the substances involved)
Derivation:
digest (soften or disintegrate by means of chemical action, heat, or moisture)
Context examples:
Ain't thinkin' it'll hurt my digestion?
(White Fang, by Jack London)
This mucus can cause problems in digestion, breathing, and body cooling.
(Cystic Fibrosis, NCI Dictionary)
It allows for the accumulation of gases produced by chemical digestion.
(Fundus of the Stomach, NCI Thesaurus)
From the gallbladder the bile is delivered through the bile ducts into the intestine thereby aiding the digestion of fat-containing foods.
(Gallbladder, NCI Thesaurus)
Pancreatic juices contain proteins called enzymes that aid in digestion.
(Pancreatic juice, NCI Dictionary)
A protein secreted by the pancreas that aids in the digestion of food.
(Pancreatic enzyme, NCI Dictionary)
Chronic pancreatitis may cause diabetes and problems with digestion.
(Pancreatitis, NCI Dictionary)
An enzyme made in the stomach that breaks down proteins in food during digestion.
(Pepsin, NCI Dictionary)
Acid in the stomach changes pepsinogen to pepsin, which breaks down proteins in food during digestion.
(Pepsinogen, NCI Dictionary)
It makes pancreatic juices, which contain enzymes that aid in digestion, and it produces several hormones, including insulin.
(Pancreas, NCI Dictionary)
