adjective
Uncommon
digestive
deye-JEHS-tihv
Digestive (adjective) means relating to or helping the process of digestion. Example: “She has a sensitive digestive system.”
adjective
1
Relating to or helping the process of digestion.
"She has a sensitive digestive system."
"Ginger tea is a popular digestive aid."
noun
1
(UK) A type of slightly sweet, wholemeal biscuit.
"He dunked a digestive into his tea."
How to use digestive
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishRelating to digestion; in Britain, also the name of a common tea-time biscuit.
UK vs US
In the US, "digestive" almost always means the biscuit sense is unfamiliar — Americans would just say "digestive biscuit" or not recognize the snack at all.
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Word forms
- Plural
- digestives
- Comparative
- more digestive
- Superlative
- most digestive
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
She has a sensitive _____ system.
Etymology
From Old French digestif, from Late Latin digestivus.
Rhymes for digestive
See all rhymes for digestive →Frequently asked questions
What does “digestive” mean?
The word “digestive” means relating to or helping the process of digestion. In plain terms, relating to digestion; in Britain, also the name of a common tea-time biscuit.
How do you pronounce “digestive”?
“Digestive” is pronounced deye-JEHS-tihv (/daɪˈdʒɛstɪv/ in IPA).
How do you use “digestive” in a sentence?
Here is “digestive” used in a sentence: “She has a sensitive digestive system.”
What part of speech is “digestive”?
Depending on how it is used, “digestive” can be an adjective and a noun.
Where does the word “digestive” come from?
The word “digestive” comes from Late Latin. From Old French digestif, from Late Latin digestivus.
Is “digestive” a common word?
“Digestive” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “digestive” have?
“Digestive” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: relating to or helping the process of digestion.
