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di·gest (dī-jĕst, dĭ-)
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v. di·gest·ed, di·gest·ing, di·gests
v.tr.
1. To convert (food) into simpler chemical compounds that can be absorbed and assimilated by an organism, as by chemical and muscular action in the digestive tract.
2. To think over so as to understand; absorb or assimilate: It took a minute to digest the implications of the remark.
3.
a. To organize into a systematic arrangement, usually by summarizing or classifying.
b. To condense or abridge (a written work).
4. Biochemistry To decompose (organic compounds), especially by the action of enzymes or bacteria.
5. Chemistry To soften or disintegrate by means of chemical action, heat, or moisture.
v.intr.
1.
a. To become assimilated into the body.
b. To assimilate food substances.
2. Biochemistry To undergo decomposition, especially by the action of enzymes or bacteria.
3. Chemistry To undergo exposure to heat, liquids, or chemical agents.
n. (dījĕst)
1. A collection of previously published material, such as articles, essays, or reports, usually in edited or condensed form.
2. Law A systematic arrangement of abstracts from court decisions designed to simplify the locating of relevant case law.
3. A periodical containing literary abridgments or other condensed works.
4. Digest See pandect.
5. A product of biochemical digestion: purifying the peptides in a digest.

[Middle English digesten, from Latin dīgerere, dīgest-, to separate, arrange : dī-, dis-, apart; see DIS- + gerere, to carry. N., from Latin dīgesta, neuter pl. of dīgestus, past participle of dīgerere, to separate.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.