small intestine

American  

noun

Anatomy.

1. intestine.

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small intestine British  

noun

1. the longest part of the alimentary canal, consisting of the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum, in which digestion is completed Compare large intestine

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small intestine Scientific  

1. The long, narrow, coiled section of the intestine that extends from the stomach to the beginning of the large intestine. Nutrients from food are absorbed into the bloodstream from the small intestine. In mammals, it is made up of the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum.

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small intestine Cultural  

1. The upper portion of the intestines, extending from the stomach to the large intestine, where the digestion of food takes place. The small intestine is about twenty feet long in adults.

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Etymology

Origin of small intestine

First recorded in 1760–70

Example Sentences

He then had to be fed through a tube - a process that damaged his liver so much that he needed a transplant as well as a new small intestine and large colon.

From BBC • Dec. 7, 2025

But he was saved by three major surgeries in which most of his small intestine was removed.

From BBC • Dec. 7, 2025

FGF19, which is involved in the control of energy metabolism, is mainly produced in the small intestine.

From Science Daily • Dec. 6, 2025

"I think we're going to uncover multiple new mechanisms for how these amino acids regulate cell fate decisions and gut health in the small intestine and colon," Yilmaz says.

From Science Daily • Oct. 23, 2025

There she found a ring of bleeding spots at the junction between the stomach and the small intestine.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston