• alimentary •
Pronunciation: æ-lê-men-têr-ree • Hear it!
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: 1. Concerning food, nutrition, or digestion. 2. Providing nourishment or sustenance.
Notes: This word is most often used in the phrases 'alimentary canal' or 'alimentary tract', referring to the gullet. It has several less often used synonyms, alimental, alimentive, and alimentarious. Alimentation "process of being nourished; provision of a means of living" implies a verb alimentate, but it does not seem to exist.
In Play: As already mentioned, alimentary is most often used in reference to the gullet: "Jeremiah could feel the 'meal' he had just eaten squirm its alimentary way back up from his stomach." Now, imagine the following conversation between Sherlock Holmes and his chronicler, Dr. Watson:
- Watson: "Holmes, please tell me why you eat so much?
Holmes: "Alimentary, my dear Watson; I want to ensure that my body has all the nutrients it needs."