digestion

IPA/daɪˈdʒestʃən/
KK[daɪdʒˈɛstʃən]IPA/daɪˈdʒestʃən/

digestion — noun

  • digestionsingular
  • digestionsplural

1. the natural process inside your stomach and intestines that breaks down food int

1.nounB2
Definition

the natural process inside your stomach and intestines that breaks down food into simple substances your body can use for energy, growth, and cell repair.

Example

Aoi's digestion improved after she started eating more vegetables and whole grains.

possession + digestion + verb of change (improved)

A cup of ginger tea often helps Eli's digestion after a heavy evening meal.

helps + digestion

Common collocations
  • good/poor/healthy/slow digestion
  • aid/promote/improve digestion
  • slow down/upset digestion
  • digestion problem/issue
Synonyms
  • breakdown

    More general; can refer to any process of separating into parts, not limited to the body

  • processing

    Broader and more technical; used in biology and computing, not common in everyday health talk

Antonyms
  • indigestion

    The condition when digestion does not work well, causing stomach pain or discomfort

Grammar Patterns

digestion + verb (improves, slows down)

possessive + digestion

adjective + digestion (good, poor, slow)

Usage Note

Uncountable — do not say 'a digestion.' Use 'digestion problems' or 'digestive issues' to refer to a specific condition. Frequently appears with verbs like 'aid,' 'promote,' 'slow down,' or 'improve.'

Common Mistakes

I have a good digestion.
I have good digestion.
Digestion is uncountable; never use 'a' before it.
My digestion of dinner was slow.
After dinner, my digestion was slow.
Avoid using 'digestion' with 'of' to mean a single instance of digesting a specific meal.

2. the process in which bacteria, chemical reactions, or high temperatures break do

2.nounC1
Definition

the process in which bacteria, chemical reactions, or high temperatures break down dead organic material, such as food waste or sewage sludge, into simpler substances, often to produce energy or reduce waste volume.

Example

The sewage treatment plant uses anaerobic digestion to break down solid waste.

anaerobic digestion (common technical collocation)

Kitchen scraps can be turned into energy through bacterial digestion in special tanks.

bacterial digestion

Common collocations
  • anaerobic/aerobic digestion
  • bacterial/chemical/thermal digestion
  • sludge/waste digestion
  • digestion tank/system/process
  • digestion of organic matter
Synonyms
  • decomposition

    Broader term for any natural breakdown of organic matter, not necessarily human-engineered

  • breakdown

    More general and less technical; can describe any chemical or biological splitting of materials

  • processing

    Emphasises the engineered, industrial nature of the operation

Grammar Patterns

adjective + digestion (anaerobic, bacterial)

digestion + of + noun

digestion + noun (method, process, system)

Usage Note

Used mainly in environmental engineering, waste management, and industrial chemistry contexts. 'Anaerobic digestion' is a very common fixed term — it describes a bacteria-driven process that happens without oxygen and produces biogas such as methane.

Common Mistakes

Anaerobic digestion is a type of food digestion.
Anaerobic digestion is a waste-treatment process that uses bacteria to break down organic matter.
These two senses are completely different; do not confuse the biological and industrial meanings.

Word family

  • digest
    verbB2
  • digestive
    adjectiveB2
  • indigestion
    nounB2
  • digestible
    adjectiveB2
  • indigestible
    adjectiveC1
  • digestibility
    nounC1
  • predigested
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three describe related but distinct stages in how the body handles food. Digestion refers specifically to the mechanical and chemical breakdown of food in the stomach and intestines — the process that turns a meal into simple nutrients. Absorption is the next step: the passage of those digested nutrients from the gut into the bloodstream. Metabolism covers the entire set of chemical reactions in the body's cells that use or store those nutrients for energy, growth, and repair. For example: 'A healthy meal goes through digestion in your stomach, then absorption in your small intestine, and finally your cells metabolise the nutrients to give you energy throughout the day.'

digestion ↗metabolism ↗absorption ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • aid digestion
  • promote digestion
  • improve digestion
  • slow down digestion
  • digestion process

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Digestion comes from Latin 'digestio,' meaning 'a dissolving or arranging.' The Latin verb 'digere' combines 'dis-' (apart) and 'gerere' (to carry), so the original picture was 'carrying apart' or 'separating.' It entered English through Old French 'digestion' in the 1300s, first describing the body's separation of food into usable parts. The industrial meaning (waste breakdown) developed much later, in the 1900s, as engineers borrowed the biological term for a similar chemical process.