stomachs

1. 1
   noun

   Plural of stomach.

   Ruminant animals possess multiple stomachs that process plant matter in stages.

   The roller coaster left several passengers clutching their stomachs.

   Note

   The plural belongs only to the countable uses of the word: the digestive organ (ruminants carry several), the belly, and the part of a garment that covers it. The ending is a plain -s, not -es. The obsolete sense of pride never had a plural. Older talk of a proud person's stomach therefore stays singular, even when many people are meant.

2. 2
   verb

   Third-person singular simple present indicative of stomach.

   The new manager somehow stomachs every complaint without losing his temper.

   Whenever the budget meeting drags on, she stomachs the tedium with quiet patience.

   Note

   Every living use of this form takes an object: he stomachs every complaint, she stomachs the tedium. Older English also used the verb for being angry, for resenting something, and for turning someone's stomach. Those senses are obsolete, so a modern reader should not take stomachs to mean "resents." The spelling is shared with the plural noun; an object after it marks the verb.

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