digest

1 of 2

noun

di·​gest ˈdī-ˌjest How to pronounce digest (audio)
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 How to pronounce digest (audio)
də-
digested; digesting; digests

transitive verb

1
: to distribute or arrange systematically : classify
2
: to convert (food) into absorbable form
3
: to take into the mind or memory
especially : to assimilate mentally
4
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
5
: to compress into a short summary
6
: absorb sense 2
the capacity of the U.S. to digest immigrants

intransitive verb

1
: to digest food
2
: to become digested

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
Sign up for the daily digest chronicling the evolving media landscape here. Oliver Darcy, CNN, 22 Mar. 2024 Trump legal digest: Monday was a busy day for the former president’s myriad of legal proceedings. Ben Kamisar, NBC News, 13 Feb. 2024 Weekly Enjoy our flagship newsletter as a digest delivered once a week. Ian Urbina, The New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2024 Sign up for The Brief, a monthly marketing digest by Forbes covering the latest in marketing strategy, social media, digital trends and so much more. Helen Barreto, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024 Vagus Nerve Stimulation: The vibrations from humming stimulate the vagus nerve, ushering us into the ‘rest and digest’ state, countering the ‘fight or flight’ stress mode. Gen Cleary, Rolling Stone, 1 Feb. 2024 Get the business news that matters most to you with our customizable digest, Fortune Daily. Elisabeth Rosenthal, Fortune, 31 Jan. 2024 The Week, every day of the week Each daily digest includes a blend of breaking news and analysis, chosen by our editors. theweek, 24 Jan. 2024 Over-Nite Sensation is a triumph: a concentrated digest from perhaps the most popular stretch of his career, and a freeze-frame of his compositional flowering and ingenious lyrical ribaldry. Daniel Felsenthal, The Atlantic, 27 Nov. 2023
Verb
High-Fiber Fruits and Vegetables Your body does not easily digest raw fruits and vegetables, which are high in fiber. Amanda MacMillan, Health, 24 Mar. 2024 Supply chain disruptions have proven slow to untangle, while the country is also digesting the effects of falling demand from its key trading partner, China. Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 21 Mar. 2024 Technology enablement is high on the agenda, including advanced tools for digesting data, making calculations, and automating compliance. Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 20 Mar. 2024 The data trove from the human players was then fed into a language model of the kind that powers modern chatbots, which had picked up an ability to process language by digesting a huge database of text. Will Knight, WIRED, 13 Mar. 2024 Share Examples From Current Events Speak in common, simple language that can be easily digested. Expert Panel®, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 Unlike other naked carbs, fruit contains fiber, which cannot be digested and moves through the stomach slowly. Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 12 Mar. 2024 Before a workout, choose carbohydrates that are low in fiber and easy to digest. Rebecca Jaspan, Mph, Health, 5 Mar. 2024 This manual can be shared in a team meeting, allowing team members to digest the information; the leader can probe for follow-up questions one-on-one. Expert Panel®, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'digest.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of digest was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near digest

Cite this Entry

“Digest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/digest. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

digest

1 of 2 noun
di·​gest ˈdī-ˌjest How to pronounce digest (audio)
: 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 How to pronounce digest (audio)
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
4
: to become digested

Medical Definition

digest

1 of 2 noun
di·​gest ˈdī-ˌjest How to pronounce digest (audio)
: a product of digestion

digest

2 of 2 transitive verb
di·​gest dī-ˈjest How to pronounce digest (audio) də- How to pronounce digest (audio)
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 How to pronounce digest (audio)
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on digest

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!