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Glite Dictionary
gastric mill

gastric mill

9.6
A strong, thick part of some animals' stomachs that grinds food
  • noun
  • /ˈɡæstrɪk mɪl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : molino gástrico
  • The gastric mill in birds helps to mechanically break down seeds and grains.

Examples

  • Lobsters use their gastric mill to crush and grind their food before digestion.

  • During dissection, the biologist pointed out the gastric mill in the crab's stomach.

  • The bird's gastric mill helps it digest tough seeds.

  • Some reptiles have a powerful gastric mill for grinding food.

  • Lobsters use their gastric mill to crush and grind their food before digestion.

  • The gastric mill in birds helps to mechanically break down seeds and grains.

  • Some reptiles have a powerful gastric mill for grinding food.

Synonyms

gizzard
vsgastric mill
  • Specialized
9 7.0

A strong, thick part inside a bird's stomach that grinds food with small stones it swallows

is the muscular pouch used for grinding food without focusing on stones
ventriculus
vsgastric mill
  • Specialized
9.9

A thick, strong stomach in birds and reptiles that grinds food

is the general muscular pouch used for grinding food not stressing location

Surface Forms

gastric mill singular
gastric mills plural

Morphology

gastric + mill

The meaning is directly and transparently derived from 'gastric' (stomach-related) plus 'mill' (a grinding device): it denotes a stomach structure that grinds food. Although technical/biological, the compound follows normal compositional patterns and would be understandable to learners who know both constituents.

Etymology

The term gastric mill names a thick, strong pouch in some animals' stomach; gastric means 'stomach' and mill means a grinder. This pouch often has hard plates or small stones that crush and 'grind' food, so the name gives the picture of a little mill and explains why it means a part that breaks food before digestion.