n :  the tubular portion of the alimentary canal that lies posterior to the stomach from which it is separated by the pyloric sphincter and consists of a slender but long anterior part made up of the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum which function in digestion and assimilation of nutrients and a broader shorter posterior part made up of the cecum, colon, and rectum which serve chiefly to extract moisture from the by-products of digestion and evaporate them into feces - often used in pl. <the shot pierced his sin several places>  - see LARGE INTESTINE SMALL INTESTINE  .
 
 
 
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