intestine
Americannoun
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Usually intestines. the lower part of the alimentary canal, extending from the pylorus to the anus.
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Also called small intestine. the narrow, longer part of the intestines, comprising the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum, that serves to digest and absorb nutrients.
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Also called large intestine. the broad, shorter part of the intestines, comprising the cecum, colon, and rectum, that absorbs water from and eliminates the residues of digestion.
adjective
noun
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The muscular tube that forms the part of the digestive tract extending from the stomach to the anus and consisting of the small and large intestines. In the intestine, nutrients and water from digested food are absorbed and waste products are solidified into feces.
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See also large intestine small intestine
Other Word Forms
- intestinal adjective
- intestinally adverb
Etymology
Origin of intestine
First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin intestīnum, noun use of neuter of intestīnus “internal,” equivalent to intes- (variant of intus “inside”) + -tīnus adjective suffix; vespertine
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The researchers are now moving forward with additional studies, including testing in larger animal models and systems that replicate the human intestine, as they work toward eventual clinical applications.
From Science Daily • Mar. 24, 2026
Enzymes in the digestive system break down insulin before it can work, and the intestine lacks a natural way to absorb it into the bloodstream.
From Science Daily • Mar. 24, 2026
It damages the small intestine so the body cannot properly take in nutrients.
From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026
Treated mice had lower levels of collagen, a major component of scar tissue, than untreated mice or those that underwent a sham procedure in which the intestine was cut and reconnected without removing tissue.
From Science Daily • Mar. 18, 2026
After that a piece of his small intestine had to go.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
