digest

From Middle English digesten, from Latin dīgestus, past participle of dīgerō (“carry apart”), from dī- (for dis- (“apart”)) + gerō (“I carry”), influenced by Middle French digestion. Partly displaced native Old English meltan (intransitive) and mieltan (transitive), both “to melt, to digest,” whence Modern English melt.

• enPR: dī-jĕstʹ, də-jĕstʹ, IPA^(key): /daɪˈd͡ʒɛst/, /dəˈd͡ʒɛst/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛst

digest (third-person singular simple present digests, present participle digesting, simple past and past participle digested)

1. (transitive) To distribute or arrange methodically; to work over and classify; to reduce to portions for ready use or application.

   to digest laws

   • 1783, Hugh Blair, Lectures on Rhetoric and Belles Lettres:

     joining them together and digesting them into order

   • c. 1606–1607, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii]:

     We have cause to be glad that matters are so well digested.

2. (transitive) To separate (the food) in its passage through the alimentary canal into the nutritive and nonnutritive elements; to prepare, by the action of the digestive juices, for conversion into blood; to convert into chyme.
3. (transitive) To think over and arrange methodically in the mind; to reduce to a plan or method; to receive in the mind and consider carefully; to get an understanding of; to comprehend.
   • 1566, Henry Sidney, letter to Philip Sidney:

     Feelingly digest the words you speak in prayer.

   • c. 1608–1609 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:

     How shall this bosom multiplied digest / The senate's courtesy?

   • 1549 March 7, Thomas Cranmer [et al.], compilers, The Booke of the Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacramentes, […], London: […] Edowardi Whitchurche […], →OCLC:

     Grant that we may in such wise hear them [the Scriptures], read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them.

4. To bear comfortably or patiently; to be reconciled to; to brook.
   • 1834, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Table Talk - Toleration-Norwegians:

     I never can digest the loss of most of Origen's works.

5. (transitive, chemistry) To expose to a gentle heat in a boiler or matrass, as a preparation for chemical operations.
6. (intransitive) To undergo digestion.

   I just ate an omelette and I'm waiting for it to digest.

   • 1726 October 28, [Jonathan Swift], “The Author Permitted to See the Grand Academy of Lagado. […]”, in Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. […] [Gulliver’s Travels], volume II, London: […] Benj[amin] Motte, […], →OCLC, part III (A Voyage to Laputa, Balnibarbi, Glubbdubdribb, Luggnagg, and Japan), page 78:

     I was at the Mathematical School, where the Maſter taught his Pupils after a Method ſcarce imaginable to us in Europe. The Propoſition and Demonſtration were fairly written on a thin Wafer, with Ink compoſed of a Cephalick Tincture. This the Student was to ſwallow upon a faſting Stomach, and for three days following eat nothing but Bread and Water. As the Wafer digeſted, the Tincture mounted to his Brain, bearing the Propoſition along with it.

7. (medicine, obsolete, intransitive) To suppurate; to generate pus, as an ulcer.
   • 1676, Richard Wiseman, “The First Book. A Treatise of Tumours. Chapter XVIII. Of an Oedema.”, in Severall Chirurgicall Treatises, London: […] E. Flesher and J. Macock, for R[ichard] Royston […], and B[enjamin] Took, […], →OCLC, page 89:

     The Lips of the Abſceſs digeſted vvell, but from vvithin it onely gleeted, and thruſt out Fat, vvhich vve daily cut off vvithout the loſs of a drop of blood, and dreſſed up the Abſceſs vvith mundif. ex apio, continuing the uſe of diſcutient Fomentations and Cataplaſins.

8. (medicine, obsolete, transitive) To cause to suppurate, or generate pus, as an ulcer or wound.
9. (obsolete, transitive) To ripen; to mature.
   • 1662, Jeremy Taylor, The Measures and Offices of Friendship:

     well-digested fruits

10. (obsolete, transitive) To quieten or reduce (a negative feeling, such as anger or grief)

• (distribute or arrange methodically): arrange, sort, sort out
• (separate food in the alimentary canal):
• (think over and arrange methodically in the mind): sort out
• (chemistry, soften by heat and moisture):
• (undergo digestion):

From Latin dīgesta, neuter plural of dīgestus, past participle of dīgerō (“separate”).

• enPR: dīʹjĕst, dīʹjəst, IPA^(key): /ˈdaɪd͡ʒɛst/, /ˈdaɪd͡ʒəst/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛst

digest (plural digests)

1. That which is digested; especially, that which is worked over, classified, and arranged under proper heads or titles
2. A compilation of statutes or decisions analytically arranged; a summary of laws.

   Comyn's Digest

   the United States Digest

3. Any collection of articles, as an Internet mailing list including a week's postings, or a magazine arranging a collection of writings.

   Reader's Digest is published monthly.

   The weekly email digest contains all the messages exchanged during the past week.

4. (cryptography) The result of applying a hash function to a message.

• (compilation of statutes or decisions analytically arranged): The term is applied in a general sense to the Pandects of Justinian, but is also specially given by authors to compilations of laws on particular topics.

• gisted, tidges

Borrowed from English digest

• IPA^(key): /di.ʒɛst/

digest m (plural digests)

1. digest (collection of articles)

• “digest”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Borrowed from Latin dīgestus.

digest m (oblique and nominative feminine singular digeste)

1. digested

Borrowed from English digest.

digest n (plural digesturi)

1. digest (publication)