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digest

 - 11 dictionary results

di⋅gest

[v. di-jest, dahy-; n. dahy-jest]
–verb (used with object)
1. to convert (food) in the alimentary canal into absorbable form for assimilation into the system.
2. to promote the digestion of (food).
3. to obtain information, ideas, or principles from; assimilate mentally: to digest a pamphlet on nuclear waste.
4. to arrange methodically in the mind; think over: to digest a plan.
5. to bear with patience; endure.
6. to arrange in convenient or methodical order; reduce to a system; classify.
7. to condense, abridge, or summarize.
8. Chemistry. to soften or disintegrate (a substance) by means of moisture, heat, chemical action, or the like.
–verb (used without object)
9. to digest food.
10. to undergo digestion, as food.
–noun
11. a collection or compendium, usually of literary, historical, legal, or scientific matter, esp. when classified or condensed.
12. Law.
a. a systematic abstract of some body of law.
b. the Digest, a collection in fifty books of excerpts, esp. from the writings of the Classical Roman jurists, compiled by order of Justinian in the 6th century a.d.; the Pandects.
13. Biochemistry. the product of the action of an enzyme on food or other organic material.

Origin:
1350–1400; (v.) ME digesten < L dīgestus separated, dissolved (ptp. of dīgerere), equiv. to dī- di- 2 + ges- carry, bear (base of gerere) + -tus ptp. suffix; (n.) ME: collection of laws < LL dīgesta (pl.), L: collection of writings, neut. pl. of dīgestus, as above


di⋅gest⋅ed⋅ly, adverb
di⋅gest⋅ed⋅ness, noun


4. understand; study, ponder. 6. systematize, codify. 11. epitome, abridgment. See summary.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To digest
di·gest   (dī-jěst', dĭ-)   
v.   di·gest·ed, di·gest·ing, di·gests

v.   tr.
  1. Physiology To convert (food) into simpler chemical compounds that can be absorbed and assimilated by the body, as by chemical and muscular action in the alimentary canal.

  2. To think over so as to understand; absorb or assimilate.

    1. To organize into a systematic arrangement, usually by summarizing or classifying.

    2. To condense or abridge (a written work).

  3. Chemistry To soften or disintegrate by means of chemical action, heat, or moisture.

v.   intr.
  1. Physiology

    1. To become assimilated into the body.

    2. To assimilate food substances.

  2. Chemistry To undergo exposure to heat, liquids, or chemical agents.

n.   (dī'jěst')
  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 statutes or court decisions.

  3. A periodical containing literary abridgments or other condensed works.

  4. Digest See pandect.


[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.]
pan·dect   (pān'děkt')   
n.  
  1. A comprehensive digest or complete treatise.

  2. pandects A complete body of laws; a legal code.

  3. Pandects A digest of Roman civil law, compiled for the emperor Justinian in the sixth century A.D. and part of the Corpus Juris Civilis. Also called Digest.


[Latin pandectēs, encyclopedia, from Greek pandektēs, all-receiving : pan-, pan- + dektēs, receiver (from dekhesthai, to receive, accept; see dek- in Indo-European roots).]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

digest  (n.)
"collection of writing," 1387, from L. digestus, pp. of digerere "to separate, divide, arrange," from dis- "apart" + gerere "to carry."

digest  (v.)
"assimilate food in bowels," c.1460 (digestion is attested from c.1386), from L. digestus (see digest (n.)).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: di·gest
Pronunciation: 'dI-"jest
Function: noun
Etymology: Latin digesta, from neuter plural of digestus, past participle of digerere to disperse, arrange
: a compilation of legal rules, statutes, or decisions systematically arranged
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: 1di·gest
Pronunciation: 'dI-"jest
Function: noun
: a product of digestion

Main Entry: 2di·gest
Pronunciation: dI-'jest, d&-
Function: transitive verb
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 digestintransitive senses
1 : to digest food
2 : to become digested
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

digest di·gest (dī-jěst', dĭ-)
v. di·gest·ed, di·gest·ing, di·gests

  1. To convert food into simpler chemical compounds that can be absorbed and assimilated by the body, as by chemical and muscular action in the alimentary canal.

  2. To soften or disintegrate by means of chemical action, heat, or moisture.


di·gest'i·bil'i·ty n.
di·gest'i·ble adj.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Computing Dictionary

digest
A periodical collection of messages which have been posted to a newsgroup or mailing list. A digest is prepared by a moderator who selects articles from the group or list, formats them and adds a contents list. The digest is then either mailed to an alternative mailing list or posted to an alternative newsgroup.
Some news readers and electronic mail programs provide commands to "undigestify" a digest, i.e. to split it up into individual articles which may then be read and saved or discarded separately.

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2007 Denis Howe
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Encyclopedia

Digest

collection of passages from the writings of Roman jurists, arranged in 50 books and subdivided into titles according to the subject matter. In AD 530 the Roman emperor Justinian entrusted its compilation to the jurist Tribonian with instructions to appoint a commission to help him. The Pandects were published in AD 533 and given statutory force (see also Justinian, Code of), which they retained into the Middle Ages in the Byzantine Empire. Early in the 19th century the term Pandectists was applied to the historical school of Roman-law scholars in Germany who resumed the scientific study of the Pandects. The leader of the school was Friedrich Karl von Savigny.

Learn more about Digest with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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