stomach
STUH-muhk
Stomach (noun) means the organ in the body where food is stored and begins to be digested. Example: “Her stomach growled loudly during the meeting.”
noun
1
The organ in the body where food is stored and begins to be digested.
"Her stomach growled loudly during the meeting."
"I felt sick to my stomach after the rollercoaster ride."
"The doctor pressed gently on my stomach to check where it hurt."
2
The general area of the belly or abdomen.
"He was punched in the stomach during the scuffle."
"My stomach growled loudly during the quiet meeting."
"She lay on her stomach by the pool and read her book."
verb
1
To tolerate or put up with something unpleasant.
"I can't stomach that kind of dishonesty."
"She could barely stomach the smell of the fish market."
"I simply cannot stomach another long meeting about nothing."
How to use stomach
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe digestive organ or belly area — or, as a verb, to tolerate something distasteful.
Common pairings
an upset stomach
stomach ache
can't stomach it
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like stomach.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Plural
- stomachs
- Third person singular
- stomachs
- Past tense
- stomached
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Her _____ growled loudly during the meeting.
Etymology
From Greek stomakhos, "throat, gullet," ultimately from stoma, "mouth."
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Frequently asked questions
What does “stomach” mean?
The word “stomach” means the organ in the body where food is stored and begins to be digested. In plain terms, the digestive organ or belly area — or, as a verb, to tolerate something distasteful.
How do you pronounce “stomach”?
“Stomach” is pronounced STUH-muhk (/ˈstʌmək/ in IPA).
How do you use “stomach” in a sentence?
Here is “stomach” used in a sentence: “Her stomach growled loudly during the meeting.”
What is another word for “stomach”?
Words with a similar meaning to “stomach” include put up with.
What part of speech is “stomach”?
Depending on how it is used, “stomach” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “stomach” come from?
The word “stomach” comes from Greek. From Greek stomakhos, "throat, gullet," ultimately from stoma, "mouth.".
Is “stomach” a common word?
“Stomach” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.
How many meanings does “stomach” have?
“Stomach” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the organ in the body where food is stored and begins to be digested.
What is the difference between the stomach and the belly?
The stomach is a specific internal organ where food collects and digestion begins. The belly, or tummy, is the everyday word for the whole front area of the lower body, the abdomen. So a pain in your belly might not come from the stomach organ at all, but from nearby parts of the gut.
What does the stomach do?
The stomach stores swallowed food and starts breaking it down. It mixes the food with acid and enzymes, churning it into a soft, semi-liquid mush. From there the partly digested food passes into the small intestine, where most nutrients are actually absorbed. The stomach is really the first major stage of digestion.
Where is the stomach located?
The stomach sits in the upper part of the abdomen, mostly on the left side, just below the ribs and beneath the diaphragm. It lies between the oesophagus above and the small intestine below. Despite the common phrase, a lower belly ache usually involves the intestines rather than the stomach itself.
What does stomach mean in figures of speech?
Beyond the organ, stomach appears in several everyday expressions. Butterflies in your stomach means nervous excitement, while having no stomach for something means lacking the appetite or courage for it. As a verb, to stomach something means to tolerate or put up with it, as in I can't stomach the noise.
Featured in
Vocabulary lists that include stomach:
