stomach

English

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stomach

Wikipedia

Alternative forms

• stomack (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English stomak, from Old French estomac, from Latin stomachus, from Ancient Greek στόμαχος (stómakhos), from στόμα (stóma, “mouth”).

Largely displaced native Old English maga, whence Modern English maw.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈstʌmək/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˈstɐmək/, /ˈstɐmɪk/
• Rhymes: -ʌmək

Noun

stomach (countable and uncountable, plural stomachs)

1. An organ in animals that stores food in the process of digestion.
3. (informal) The belly.

   Synonyms: belly, abdomen, tummy, (obsolete) bouk, gut, guts, (archaic) maw

   Why did you hit me in the stomach?

4. (uncountable, obsolete) Pride, haughtiness.
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto VII”, in The Faerie Queene. , London: [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

     Sterne was his looke, and full of stomacke vaine, / His portaunce terrible, and stature tall […]

   • c. 1606–1607, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, , page ii, line 34:

     He was a man / Of an unbounded stomach, ever ranking / Himself with princes;

   • 1693, [John Locke], “§108”, in Some Thoughts Concerning Education, London: A and J Churchill, , →OCLC:

     This sort of crying […] proceeding from pride, obstinacy, and stomach, the will, where the fault lies, must be bent.

5. (obsolete) Appetite.

   a good stomach for roast beef

   • c. 1594 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Comedie of Errors”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, , line 50:

     You come not home because you have no stomach. / You have no stomach, having broke your fast.

   • c. 1590 (date written), G[eorge] P[eele], The Old Wiues Tale. , London: Iohn Danter, for Raph Hancocke, and Iohn Hardie, , published 1595, →OCLC, [lines 920-922]:

     HOST. How say you sir, doo you please to sit downe?
     EUMENIDES. Hostes I thanke you, I haue no great stomack.

   • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], chapter II, in The Anatomy of Melancholy: , 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed by John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition ii, section 1, member 2:

     If after seven hours' tarrying he shall have no stomach, let him defer his meal, or eat very little at his ordinary time of repast.

6. (figuratively) Desire, appetite (for something abstract).

   I have no stomach for a fight today.

   • 1599, William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, , page 86, column 2:

     That he which hath no ſtomack to this fight, / Let him depart, his Paſport ſhall be made,

   • 2020 May 4, Lauren Morris, quoting Charlie Brooker, “Charlie Brooker gives Black Mirror season 6 update”, in Radio Times‎:

     At the moment, I don’t know what stomach there would be for stories about societies falling apart, so I’m not working away on one of those.

7. The part of a garment that covers a person's stomach.
   • 1847 January – 1848 July, William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair , London: Bradbury and Evans , published 1848, →OCLC:

     […] Mr. Sedley looking grand, with a crush opera-hat on one side of his head and his hand in the stomach of a voluminous white waistcoat.

Derived terms

Related terms

• stomachic
• stomachal

Translations

Verb

stomach (third-person singular simple present stomachs, present participle stomaching, simple past and past participle stomached)

1. (transitive) To tolerate (something), emotionally, physically, or mentally; to stand or handle something.

   I really can’t stomach jobs involving that much paperwork, but some people seem to tolerate them.

   I can't stomach her cooking.

2. (obsolete, intransitive) To be angry.
   • 1594–1597, Richard Hooker, edited by J[ohn] S[penser], Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, , London: Will Stansby , published 1611, →OCLC, (please specify the page):

     Let a man, though never so justly, oppose himself unto them that are disordered in their ways; and what one amongst them commonly doth not stomach at such contradiction, storm at reproof, and hate such as would reform them?

3. (obsolete, transitive) To resent; to remember with anger; to dislike.
   • c. 1606–1607, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, , line 12:

     O, my good lord, / Believe not all; or, if you must believe, / Stomach not all.

   • 1692, Roger L’Estrange, “ (please specify the fable number.) (please specify the name of the fable.)”, in Fables, of Æsop and Other Eminent Mythologists: , London: R Sare, , →OCLC:

     The Lion began at first to shew his Teeth, and to Stomach the Affront.

   • 1649, J[ohn] Milton, ΕΙΚΟΝΟΚΛΆΣΤΗΣ  , London: Matthew Simmons, , →OCLC:

     The Parliament sit in that body […] to be his counsellors and dictators, though he stomach it.

4. (obsolete, transitive) To turn the stomach of; to sicken or repel.

Synonyms

• (to tolerate): brook, put up with; See also Thesaurus:tolerate
• (to be angry):
• (to resent): See also Thesaurus:dislike

Derived terms

• stomachable
• unstomachable

Translations

Anagrams

• Satchmo

Middle English

Noun

stomach

1. Alternative form of stomak