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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 notes

In 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.

Word forms

more digestive comparative, digestives plural, most digestive superlative

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She has a sensitive _____ system.

Etymology

From Old French digestif, from Late Latin digestivus.

Origin: Late Latin

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.

Definitions: FreeDict original editorial