small intestine

noun

: the narrow part of the intestine that lies between the stomach and colon, consists of duodenum, jejunum, and ileum, secretes digestive enzymes, and is the chief site of the digestion of food into small molecules which are absorbed into the body

Examples of small intestine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In Hallie's case, her small intestine, liver, colon, stomach and part of her bladder were encased in a grapefruit-sized, balloon-like ball coated by a thin membrane, just above where her belly button would be. Wendy Grossman Kantor, Peoplemag, 5 Mar. 2024 This is excess bacteria growth in the small intestine, which causes chronic diarrhea.20 Hormones Bowel habits tend to vary throughout the menstrual cycle and pregnancy. Steph Coelho, Health, 10 Feb. 2024 Secondary lactose intolerance can feel abrupt and occurs because of an issue in your small intestine, where lactase is produced. USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2024 Since they’re both absorbed by the small intestine, they should be spaced out so as to not compete for absorption. Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 19 Feb. 2024 The thing that has most surprised me as a parent—i.e. while watching the emotional and psychological development of someone that used to kick my small intestine as a hobby—is realizing that children have to be taught their feelings. Nell Frizzell, Vogue, 17 Feb. 2024 Cystic fibrosis is a disease that damages the lungs, digestive tract and other organs, while exocrine pancreatic insufficiency is a condition in which the small intestine can’t thoroughly digest food due to problems with pancreatic enzymes. Kristen Rogers, CNN, 15 Feb. 2024 Sometimes trauma, radiations, or infections can disrupt the small intestine’s pathways and compromise its function. Max Bennett, Discover Magazine, 29 Jan. 2024 Over time, that immune reaction damages the small intestine’s lining and leads to other complications. Bobby Narang, Chicago Tribune, 29 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'small intestine.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1767, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of small intestine was in 1767

Dictionary Entries Near small intestine

Cite this Entry

“Small intestine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/small%20intestine. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

small intestine

noun
: the long narrow part of the intestine between the stomach and the colon in which food is mostly digested, from which digested food is absorbed into the body, and which consists of the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum

Medical Definition

small intestine

noun
: the part of the intestine that lies between the stomach and colon, consists of duodenum, jejunum, and ileum, secretes digestive enzymes, and is the chief site of the absorption of digested nutrients

called also small bowel

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