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stomach

Pronunciation: /ˈstʌmək/
Translate stomach | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of stomach

noun

  • 1the internal organ in which the major part of the digestion of food occurs, being (in humans and many mammals) a pear-shaped enlargement of the alimentary canal linking the oesophagus to the small intestine: [as modifier]:severe stomach pains
  • each of four stomachs in a ruminant (the rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum).
  • any of a number of organs analogous to the stomach in lower animals.
  • the front part of the body between the chest and thighs; the belly:Blake hit him in the stomach
  • [in singular] the stomach viewed as the seat of hunger, nausea, anxiety, or other unsettling feelings:Virginia had a sick feeling in her stomach
  • 2 [in singular, usually with negative] an appetite for food or drink:she doesn’t have the stomach to eat anything
  • a desire or inclination for something involving conflict or difficulty:the teams proved to have no stomach for a fight

verb

[with object] (usually cannot stomach)
  • consume (food or drink) without feeling or being sick:if you cannot stomach orange juice, try apple juice
  • endure or accept (an obnoxious thing or person):I can’t stomach the self-righteous attitude of some managers

Phrases

an army marches on its stomach

a group of soldiers or workers can only fight or function effectively if they have been well fed.
[translating French c'est la soupe qui fait le soldat, a maxim of Napoleon]

on a full (or an empty) stomach

after having eaten (or having not eaten):I always think better on a full stomach

a strong stomach

an ability to see or do unpleasant things without feeling sick or squeamish: be warned, you’ll need a strong stomach

Derivatives

stomachful

noun (plural stomachfuls)

Origin:

Middle English: from Old French estomac, stomaque, via Latin from Greek stomakhos 'gullet', from stoma 'mouth'. The early sense of the verb was 'be offended at, resent' (early 16th century)

Spelling help

Remember that stomach ends with -ach.

Spelling rule

If a noun ends in -ch and is pronounced -k, make the plural by adding an -s: (stomachs).

stomach in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of stomach in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

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