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• digest
  digest

  verb (used with object)

  to convert (food) in the alimentary canal into absorbable form for assimilation into the system.
• Digest
  Digest

  noun

  Roman law an arrangement of excerpts from the writings and opinions of eminent lawyers, contained in 50 books compiled by order of Justinian in the sixth century _ad

digest

American  

[dih-jest, dahy-, dahy-jest] / dɪˈdʒɛst, daɪ-, ˈdaɪ dʒɛst /

verb (used with object)

• digests,
  present (3rd person singular)
• digested,
  past participle,  past
• digesting
  present participle

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.

   Synonyms:

   ponder, study, understand

5. to bear with patience; endure.

6. to arrange in convenient or methodical order; reduce to a system; classify.

   Synonyms:

   codify, systematize

7. to condense, abridge, or summarize.

8. Chemistry. to soften or disintegrate (a substance) by means of moisture, heat, chemical action, or the like.

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verb (used without object)

• digests,
  present (3rd person singular)
• digested,
  past participle,  past
• digesting
  present participle

1. to digest food.

2. to undergo digestion, as food.

noun

• digests
  plural

1. a collection or compendium, usually of literary, historical, legal, or scientific matter, especially when classified or condensed.

   Synonyms:

   abridgment, epitome

2. Law.

   1. a systematic abstract of some body of law.

   2. the Digest, a collection in fifty books of excerpts, especially from the writings of the Classical Roman jurists, compiled by order of Justinian in the 6th century a.d.; the Pandects.

3. Biochemistry. the product of the action of an enzyme on food or other organic material.

digest ¹ British  

verb

1. to subject (food) to a process of digestion

2. (tr) to assimilate mentally

3. chem to soften or disintegrate or be softened or disintegrated by the action of heat, moisture, or chemicals; decompose

4. (tr) to arrange in a methodical or systematic order; classify

5. (tr) to reduce to a summary

6. archaic (tr) to tolerate

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noun

1. a comprehensive and systematic compilation of information or material, often condensed

2. a magazine, periodical, etc, that summarizes news of current events

3. a compilation of rules of law based on decided cases

Digest ² British  

/ ˈdaɪdʒɛst /

noun

1. Roman law an arrangement of excerpts from the writings and opinions of eminent lawyers, contained in 50 books compiled by order of Justinian in the sixth century _ad

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Usage

What does inventory mean? An inventory is a complete list of all merchandise or stock of items owned by or available from a business. At a store, an inventory is the complete list of all items for sale at the store. At a manufacturer, an inventory is a complete list of all the raw materials they have, as well as finished items and items being created. An inventory is also the specific set of products to sell, as in The store’s inventory of superhero capes is running low and will probably sell out soon. An inventory can also refer to figurative belongings, such as a person’s personality traits and skills. To inventory means to add things to an inventory list, whether a literal or figurative list, as in I inventoried my options for colleges and chose the school I’ll attend next year. Example: Can you take inventory tonight so we can be ready for the rush tomorrow?

Synonym Usage

See summary.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• digestedness
  noun
• overdigest
  verb
• redigest
  verb (used with object)
• half-digested
  adjective
• nondigesting
  adjective
• semidigested
  adjective
• undigested
  adjective
• undigesting
  adjective
• well-digested
  adjective
• digestedly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• digests
  plural

Participles

• digesting
  present
• digested
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• digest
  simple
• digests
  simple
• have digested
  perfect
• has digested
  perfect
• am digesting
  progressive
• are digesting
  progressive
• is digesting
  progressive
• have been digesting
  perfect progressive
• has been digesting
  perfect progressive

Past

• digested
  simple
• had digested
  perfect
• was digesting
  progressive
• were digesting
  progressive
• had been digesting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will digest
  simple
• will have digested
  perfect
• will be digesting
  progressive
• will have been digesting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of digest

First recorded in 1350–1400; (verb) Middle English digesten, from Latin dīgestus “separated, dissolved” (past participle of dīgerere ), equivalent to dī- di- ² + ges- “carry, bear” (base of gerere ) + -tus past participle suffix; (noun) Middle English: “collection of laws,” from Late Latin dīgesta (plural), Latin: “collection of writings,” neuter plural of dīgestus, as above

Explanation

When your stomach breaks down food, it digests it. To digest is to process food so it can be absorbed into the body or information so the mind can absorb it. If you tell your mother some bad news, like say, that you failed your math test after studying so hard, she might say, "Let me take a moment to digest that information." She's not going to swallow the paper and let her stomach do the work. Instead, she's going to take a moment to sit with the news and understand it. As a noun, a digest is a magazine that breaks down information into understandable summaries.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

digest Digest digests digested digesting

While the U.S. stock market has sometimes stumbled this year after Treasury yields’ sudden bursts higher, Kourkafas sees economic growth and a rotation into tech helping the S&P 500 digest higher rates.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 26, 2026

Cattle and other ruminant livestock contribute to climate change by releasing methane as they digest plants.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026

Bond yields have been creeping up all year as investors digest incoming news about inflation and growth.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

New Northwestern Medicine research published in Nature Communications suggests that a substance produced when gut bacteria digest dietary fiber may leave a durable molecular mark on cells lining the intestine.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026

“I didn’t know wolves could digest vegetables,” said Matt, who had studied biology.

From "The House of the Scorpion" by Nancy Farmer

In June, Golf Digest reported that a female member of the staff at the Farms Golf Club in Rancho Santa Fe had accused Mickelson of making “nonconsensual and inappropriate physical contact” with her months earlier.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026

The work required roughly 250 workers per day, according to Architectural Digest.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026

Asked to comment on the allegations, which were first reported in Golf Digest, BBC Sport received a statement from the club.

From BBC ● Jun. 12, 2026

The property, which has striking glass walls, even earned itself a mention in Architectural Digest after Piven bought it.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 9, 2026

“Burns was the first American to see the immense possibilities of the instrument in detective work,” the Literary Digest reported in 1912.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann

As the stock market digests SpaceX’s mega-IPO, investors would do well to remember that bigger is not necessarily better.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 15, 2026

The tepid outlook "indicates that earnings will likely remain stagnant or decline slightly as the company digests the Metsera deal and ramps up R&D," Briefing.com said in its note.

From Barron's ● Dec. 16, 2025

U.S. natural gas futures sink for a second straight session as the market digests a less drastic view of coming weather.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 12, 2025

I'm somebody who digests more news every day than is probably healthy, and I do that because of the nature of my work.

From Salon ● Aug. 29, 2024

As the audience digests your first few words, and you relax into it, you realize that the rest of the speech is at your command.

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith

Only one had coughed up—Michigan fans still haven’t digested the fumbled-punt disaster of 2015.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026

CoreWeave stock was dropping as other AI infrastructure companies gained, as shareholders digested its financing plans.

From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026

Sterling turned lower against the euro as investors digested initial measures under the new U.K.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

They are digested quickly and can produce sharp increases in blood sugar.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 18, 2026

Though he can’t seem to get the words swallowed and down into his belly where they’ll be properly digested and he can figure out what to do.

From "Clean Getaway" by Nic Stone

Investors should find out in the next few days after digesting a pair of crucial updates on inflation.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 9, 2026

After digesting our pastries, we will catch a late-morning movie at the Los Feliz 3, the Vista or the Landmark Sunset.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026

The researchers also investigated genes involved in digesting the chitin found in insect exoskeletons.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 27, 2026

Investors’ muted reaction to the earnings suggests they are digesting the new strategy, Hunter says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

Her breath catches, and I know even though she thinks they’re imaginary, she’s still digesting her feelings.

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera