English Reference
noun

ingestion

n.
US /ˌɪnˈdʒɛstʃən/ UK /ɪndʒˈɛstʃən/ in·ges·tion

  1. 01 C1 Advanced Technical Medicine

    the process of taking food, drink, or medicine into your body by swallowing it.

    the physiological process of consuming a substance orally; typically regarded as the initial stage of digestion.

    Simple

    The doctor warned that the accidental ingestion of the cleaning fluid is very dangerous.

    In context

    Medical professionals emphasize that the rapid ingestion of these chemicals can lead to immediate systemic toxicity if not treated within the hour.

    Usage

    Uncountable when referring to the general process, but countable when referring to a specific instance.

    excretionelimination
  2. 02 C1 Advanced Technical Computing

    the process of moving large amounts of information into a computer system or database.

    the process of importing, transporting, and processing raw data from various sources into a database for storage or analysis.

    Simple

    The system handles the ingestion of thousands of new customer records every hour.

    In context

    The engineering team optimized the data ingestion pipeline to ensure that real-time analytics were available to the marketing department without latency.

    Usage

    Often used in the context of 'data ingestion' or 'ingestion pipelines'.

  3. 03 C2 Proficiency Technical

    when an engine pulls in air or accidentally pulls in an object like a bird.

    the process of a jet engine drawing in air or the accidental intake of foreign objects during operation.

    Simple

    The plane had to land after the ingestion of a bird damaged the engine.

    In context

    Engineers designed the new turbine blades to withstand the ingestion of small debris during takeoff and landing sequences.

    Usage

    Commonly used in aviation and mechanical engineering contexts.

Researchers say this finding suggests that ingestion of the chemical was intentional.

ScienceDaily· 15 Aug 2026

That increases the risk that diseases, including protozoa such as cyclospora, which are transmitted through ingestion of fecal matter, may spread through food and water supplies.

The Conversation· 10 Aug 2026

Borrowed from Latin ingestionem, accusative of ingestio (“a pouring in”), action noun of the perfect passive participle of ingerere (“pour in”), from in- (“in, into”) + gero (“to carry, to bear”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Occasional
Updated