stomach

stomach — noun

1. the body part that receives food after you swallow it, breaking it into smaller

1.nounA2
Definition

the body part that receives food after you swallow it, breaking it into smaller pieces through acid and muscle action

Example

After eating too much spicy curry, Benjamin felt a burning pain in his stomach.

collocation: stomach pain / stomach ache

The nurse told Min that drinking water on an empty stomach can help with digestion.

collocation: on an empty stomach

Common collocations
  • empty stomach
  • upset stomach
  • stomach ache
  • stomach pain
  • on a full stomach
  • stomach acid
  • stomach ulcer
Synonyms
  • belly

    informal; refers to the outer area rather than the internal organ

Common Mistakes

I have a pain on my stomach.
I have a pain in my stomach.
the correct preposition with stomach for internal pain is 'in', not 'on'.

2. the curved front area of a person's torso, located below the ribs and above the

2.nounA2
Definition

the curved front area of a person's torso, located below the ribs and above the legs

Example

Gabriel lay on the sofa with both hands resting on his stomach.

physical position: lie with hands on stomach

The stray kitten curled up and fell asleep on Dahlia's warm stomach.

Common collocations
  • flat stomach
  • stomach muscles
  • lie on your stomach
  • sleep on your stomach
  • stomach pain
  • stomach cramp
Synonyms
  • belly

    more informal than 'stomach', common with children and in casual speech

  • abdomen

    formal medical term; used by doctors and in scientific contexts

  • tummy

    childish or affectionate; used mainly with young children

Usage Note

In everyday conversation, 'stomach' often refers to the outer belly area rather than the internal organ. For medical precision, use 'abdomen'.

Idioms

somebody’s eyes are bigger than their stomach

idiom

This means someone took more food than they can actually eat.

Mia's eyes were bigger than her stomach at the buffet.

Did your eyes get bigger than your stomach when you ordered that pizza?

have butterflies (in your stomach)

idiom

This means feeling nervous or anxious before doing something.

Sara had butterflies in her stomach before her speech.

Do you get butterflies when you meet new people?

have no stomach for something

idiom

This means not wanting to eat or deal with something.

Tom had no stomach for the spicy curry.

After the argument, she had no stomach for dinner.

have a strong stomach

idiom

This means being able to see or do unpleasant things without feeling sick.

You need a strong stomach to watch that horror movie.

Does the nurse have a strong stomach for blood?

the pit of your/the stomach

idiom

This refers to the bottom of the stomach where you feel strong emotions like fear.

A cold fear settled in the pit of his stomach.

Did you feel a knot in the pit of your stomach?

pump somebody’s stomach

idiom

This means removing the contents of someone's stomach using a pump after they swallowed something harmful.

The doctors had to pump her stomach after the overdose.

Did they pump his stomach at the hospital?

sick to your stomach

idiom

This means feeling very angry or worried about something.

He was sick to his stomach when he heard the news.

Does the unfair treatment make you sick to your stomach?

turn your stomach

idiom

This means making you feel upset, sick, or horrified.

The smell of rotten eggs turned my stomach.

Does the sight of blood turn your stomach?

stomach — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words describe putting up with something unpleasant, but they differ in emotional weight and usage. 'Bear' is the most general — you can bear physical pain, bad news, or annoying sounds ('She bore the long wait without complaint'). 'Stand' is more informal and often used in everyday negative statements ('I can't stand the heat'). 'Stomach' adds a physical, almost visceral layer — it suggests something that turns your stomach, making you feel sick or disgusted ('He could not stomach the cruelty in the documentary'). 'Tolerate' is more formal and detached, often used for rules or behaviour ('The school will not tolerate cheating'). 'Endure' implies long-term hardship faced with patience ('The villagers endured months without clean water'). For strong disgust or revulsion, 'stomach' is the most vivid choice.

bear ↗stand ↗tolerate ↗endure ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • stomach ache
  • stomach pain
  • stomach acid
  • stomach flu
  • stomach ulcer
  • stomach cancer
  • stomach bug

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

  • in the stomach
  • on your stomach
  • on an empty stomach

Etymology

GreekLatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'stomach' comes from Latin 'stomachus', which was borrowed directly from Greek 'stomakhos' meaning 'gullet' or 'throat'. In Latin it came to mean 'stomach' and later passed into Old French as 'estomac' before entering Middle English. The verb sense of 'stomach' meaning 'to tolerate' developed in the 1500s, based on the idea of the stomach being able to 'keep down' or accept something without vomiting.