digester

American  

[dih-jes-ter, dahy-] / dɪˈdʒɛs tər, daɪ- /

noun

1. a person or thing that digests.

2. Chemistry. Also digestor an apparatus in which substances are softened or disintegrated by moisture, heat, chemical action, or the like.

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digester British  

/ dɪˈdʒɛstə, daɪ- /

noun

1. chem an apparatus or vessel, such as an autoclave, in which digestion is carried out

2. a less common word for digestant

3. a person or thing that digests

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Etymology

Origin of digester

First recorded in 1570–80; digest + -er ¹

Example Sentences

Instead, “that money went to this dairy digester program that does not benefit this area.”

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 23, 2025

And New York State requires large food businesses to donate excess edible food and recycle remaining scraps if they are within 25 miles of a composting facility or anaerobic digester.

From New York Times • Jun. 12, 2024

The facility would not be the first of its kind in the Yakima Valley; a smaller anaerobic digester is in operation near Outlook.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 2, 2023

Early this year, the prospect of a new digester in Rock Valley, Iowa, was heralded as a sustainable solution for nearby farming communities in the northwest corner of the state.

From Salon • Nov. 5, 2022

In the current dialect, therefore, he was 'nowise a clothes-horse or patent digester, but a genuine man.'

From Hours in a Library New Edition, with Additions. Vol. II (of 3) by Stephen, Leslie, Sir