: the middle part of a digestive tract

Examples of midgut in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
These build up in the midgut of the flea, blocking its digestive tract. James P. Close, Scientific American, 1 Nov. 2020 The midgut, the equivalent of an insect’s stomach, is seen in red. Lisa Raffensperger, Discover Magazine, 15 May 2013

Word History

First Known Use

1875, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of midgut was in 1875

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Cite this Entry

“Midgut.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/midgut. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.

Medical Definition

1
: the middle part of the digestive tract of a vertebrate embryo that in humans gives rise to the more distal part of the duodenum and to the jejunum, ileum, cecum and appendix, ascending colon, and much of the transverse colon
2
: the mesodermal intermediate part of the intestine of an invertebrate animal

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