digest

1 of 2

noun

di·​gest ˈdī-ˌjest 

1

: a summation or condensation of a body of information: such as

a

: a systematic compilation of legal rules, statutes, or decisions

b

: a periodical devoted to condensed versions of previously published articles

2

: a product of digestion

digest

2 of 2

verb

di·​gest dī-ˈjest 

də-

digested; digesting; digests

transitive verb

1

: to convert (food) into absorbable form

2

: to take into the mind or memory

especially : to assimilate mentally

3

a

: to soften, decompose, or break down by heat and moisture or chemical action

DNA digested by restriction enzymes

b

: to extract soluble ingredients from by warming with a liquid

4

: to compress into a short summary

5

: absorb sense 2

the capacity of the U.S. to digest immigrants

6

: to distribute or arrange systematically : classify

intransitive verb

1

: to digest food

2

: to become digested

Synonyms of digest

Noun

• summary

Verb

• classify
• rank
• distinguish
• relegate
• distribute
• categorize
• sort

Examples of digest in a Sentence

Noun

a digest of the laws

a digest of yesterday's departmental meeting

Verb

He has trouble digesting certain foods.

It will take me a while to digest this news.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The classic green kiwi also contains an enzyme, actinidin, that helps the body digest protein, which could also assist in softening high-protein foods in the gut. —New Atlas, 26 Oct. 2025

In its easy-to-digest design, users first take a detailed personality test, then are partnered with compatible singles. —Malia Griggs, Glamour, 2 Oct. 2025

Verb

People would devote entire dissertations to developing techniques for distinguishing handwritten digits or for recognizing faces in images; then a deep-learning algorithm would digest the underlying data, discover the subtleties of the problem, and make those projects seem obsolete. —James Somers, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025

While Minott digested the pain of the misses and the joy of survival, several of his teammates approached him to convince him to concentrate on the latter. —Jay King, New York Times, 1 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, systematic arrangement of laws, from Latin digesta, from neuter plural of digestus, past participle of digerere to arrange, distribute, digest, from dis- + gerere to carry

Verb

Middle English, from Latin digestus

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 6

Rhymes for digest

• abreast
• accessed
• addressed
• appressed
• armrest
• arrest
• assessed
• attest
• backrest
• behest
• bequest
• caressed

Kids Definition

digest

1 of 2 noun

di·​gest ˈdī-ˌjest 

: a body of information or a literary work in shortened form

a digest of the laws

digest

2 of 2 verb

di·​gest dī-ˈjest 

də-

1

: to think over and arrange in the mind

digest the news

2

: to convert food into simpler forms that can be taken in and used by the body

3

: summarize sense 1

4

: to become digested

Medical Definition

digest

1 of 2 noun

di·​gest ˈdī-ˌjest 

: a product of digestion

digest

2 of 2 transitive verb

di·​gest dī-ˈjest  də- 

1

: to convert (food) into absorbable form

2

a

: to soften, decompose, or break down by heat and moisture or chemicals

b

: to extract soluble ingredients from by warming with a liquid

intransitive verb

1

: to digest food

2

: to become digested

Legal Definition

digest

noun

di·​gest ˈdī-ˌjest 

: a compilation of legal rules, statutes, or decisions systematically arranged

Etymology

Noun

Latin digesta, from neuter plural of digestus, past participle of digerere to disperse, arrange