digest

B2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /daɪˈd͡ʒɛst/ See IPA manual

Freq #12074

Meanings

1

verb
To break down food in the body so it can be absorbed.

My stomach finds it hard to digest fatty foods.
2

verb
To take time to understand and absorb new information or ideas.

I need a few days to digest everything I learned at the conference.
3

verb
To organize information into a clear, summarized form.

The committee digested the long report into a short summary.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 verb · to take time to understand... sort out

3 verb · to organize information... arrange sort sort out

Word family

Forms digesteddigestibledigestingdigests

Derived forms autodigestcodigestdigestabilitydigestantdigestatedigestedlydigestednessdigesterdigestogramdigestomedigestorindigested

Etymology

From Middle English digesten, from Latin dīgestus, past participle of dīgerō (“carry apart”), from dī- (for dis- (“apart”)) + gerō (“to carry”), influenced by Middle French digestion. Partly displaced native Old English meltan (intransitive) and mieltan (transitive), both “to melt, to digest,” whence Modern English melt.

*h₂eǵ- Proto-Indo-European digesten Middle English dīgestus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# digest

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /daɪˈd͡ʒɛst/
**Frequency rank:** 12074

## Meanings
1. To break down food in the body so it can be absorbed.
2. To take time to understand and absorb new information or ideas.
3. To organize information into a clear, summarized form.

## Examples
- My stomach finds it hard to digest fatty foods.
- I need a few days to digest everything I learned at the conference.
- The committee digested the long report into a short summary.

## Derived Forms
- autodigest
- codigest
- digestability
- digestant
- digestate
- digestedly
- digestedness
- digester
- digestogram
- digestome
- digestor
- indigested

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *h₂eǵ-
- Root: digesten
- Root: dīgestus

## Etymology
From Middle English digesten, from Latin dīgestus, past participle of dīgerō (“carry apart”), from dī- (for dis- (“apart”)) + gerō (“to carry”), influenced by Middle French digestion. Partly displaced native Old English meltan (intransitive) and mieltan (transitive), both “to melt, to digest,” whence Modern English melt.

## AI Etymology
digest comes from Middle English digesten, from Latin dīgestus, past participle of dīgerō (“carry apart”), from dī- (for dis- (“apart”)) + gerō (“to carry”), influenced by Middle French digestion. Partly displaced native Old English meltan (intransitive) and mieltan (transitive), both “to melt, to digest,” whence Modern English melt. The historical chain includes Proto-Indo-European *h₂eǵ-, Middle English digesten, Latin dīgestus. Current senses include to break down food in the body so it can be absorbed and to take time to understand and absorb new information or ideas. English relatives and later formations include autodigest, codigest, digestability.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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