digest
digest — noun
1. A published collection that brings together the key content from a longer text o
A published collection that brings together the key content from a longer text or the latest news in a shortened form.
Dewi buys the monthly news digest because it saves her from reading five different newspapers.
countable noun + of: digest of [topic]
The company publishes a weekly digest of articles on renewable energy technologies.
Faisal found a digest of classic novels in the library's reference section.
This legal digest covers all Supreme Court rulings from the past twelve months.
- summary
more general; digest suggests a curated collection of multiple items
- compilation
broader; does not imply condensation or shortened form
- abridgement
focuses on a single text made shorter; digest often covers multiple sources
文法句型
digest + of + noun phrase
用法筆記
Commonly modified by a topic area (e.g., legal digest, news digest) or a publisher name. Unlike a full summary, a digest implies a regular publication format.
常見錯誤
digest — verb
1. To break down food in the stomach and intestines so that the body can absorb the
To break down food in the stomach and intestines so that the body can absorb the nutrients it needs.
After the surgery, Roya could not digest solid food for several weeks.
transitive: digest + solid food / dairy / protein
Some people cannot digest dairy products because they lack the right enzymes.
A healthy stomach digests most foods within two to three hours.
Yuna chews her food thoroughly so that her stomach can digest it more easily.
The snake slowly digests the mouse it swallowed three days ago.
- break down
less formal, broader meaning than biological digestion
- process
more general; can refer to any bodily or mechanical handling
文法句型
digest + noun phrase (food)
noun phrase + digests (intransitive)
用法筆記
Often used intransitively with an adverb describing how well food breaks down: 'This cheese doesn't digest easily.' The subject can be a person (body) or the digestive system itself.
常見錯誤
2. To read, hear, or experience something and take time to think about it until you
To read, hear, or experience something and take time to think about it until you fully grasp what it means.
Christopher read the contract slowly to digest all the legal terms.
digest + noun phrase: digest the details / information / news
The news was so shocking that Folake needed a full day to digest it.
Children often need to hear a new word several times before they digest its meaning.
Xiu wrote notes after each chapter to help digest the textbook's main ideas.
Yael sat in the garden quietly, digesting everything the professor had said.
- absorb
more passive, suggests gradual learning without deliberate effort
- assimilate
more formal, implies integrating new knowledge into existing understanding
- grasp
suggests sudden understanding rather than slow processing
- misunderstand
failing to grasp the meaning at all
文法句型
digest + noun phrase (information)
digest + wh-clause
用法筆記
Subject is usually a person or thinking entity. The object is abstract (information, news, implications) — never a physical object. Frequently used with 'time' or 'need': 'I need time to digest this.'
常見錯誤
3. To soften or break down a substance using heat, moisture, chemicals, or enzymes,
To soften or break down a substance using heat, moisture, chemicals, or enzymes, often to extract useful materials.
The lab technician uses an acid solution to digest the rock sample for testing.
technical register: digest + sample with acid / heat
Enzymes are added to the tank to digest the organic waste into usable gas.
Élise heated the mixture gently to digest the plant matter and release its oils.
The industrial process digests wood chips with steam and chemicals to make paper pulp.
- decompose
broader; does not imply controlled chemical treatment
- break down
more general; used in everyday and technical contexts
文法句型
digest + noun phrase + (with / using) + tool or substance
用法筆記
This is the technical sense of digest, common in chemistry, biology, and industrial processing. Do not confuse it with everyday food digestion (sense 1) — the subject here is a lab procedure or industrial system, not a living organism.
常見錯誤
4. To reduce a longer piece of writing into a shorter form while keeping the main p
To reduce a longer piece of writing into a shorter form while keeping the main points.
The editor asked Kevin to digest the two-hundred-page report into five paragraphs.
digest + noun + into + shortened form
This journal digests long research papers into summaries that busy doctors can read quickly.
Wren's job is to digest court rulings into short notes for the legal team.
Gabriel digested the CEO's two-hour speech into a one-page briefing for the board.
- expand
to make longer, add detail
文法句型
digest + noun phrase + into + noun phrase
用法筆記
Closely related to the noun sense (a digest is the result). The object is a document or body of text; the result is introduced by 'into'. More formal than 'summarise'.
常見錯誤
5. To sort items or information into an ordered system by topic, type, or category.
To sort items or information into an ordered system by topic, type, or category.
The librarian digested the collection of ancient manuscripts by subject and period.
digest + noun + by + category: sort by topic / type / period
Caio digested the research notes into labelled folders before starting the essay.
The biologist digested the field data by species and habitat type.
Anthony digested the archival records by decade and region for his historical study.
- jumble
to mix up, create disorder
文法句型
digest + noun phrase + (by / into) + category
用法筆記
This is the rarest sense of digest, found mainly in formal or academic writing. 'Classify' or 'organise' are far more common alternatives for everyday use.