1. 1. The enlarged, saclike portion of the alimentary canal, one of the principal organs of digestion, located in vertebrates between the esophagus and the small intestine.
   2. A similar digestive structure of many invertebrates.
   3. Any of the four compartments into which the stomach of a ruminant is divided.
2. The abdomen or belly.
3. An appetite for food.
4. A desire or inclination, especially for something difficult or unpleasant: had no stomach for quarrels.
5. Courage; spirit.
6. Obsolete. Pride.

1. To bear; tolerate.
2. Obsolete. To resent.

[Middle English, from Old French stomaque, estomac, from Latin stomachus, from Greek stomakhos, gullet, from stoma, mouth.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.