digest
digest — 名詞
1. A published collection that brings together the key content from a longer text o
摘要；文摘
濃縮重要內容的書面彙編
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.
Dewi 訂閱每月新聞摘要，因為這樣她就不用讀五份不同的報紙。
countable noun + of: digest of [topic]
The company publishes a weekly digest of articles on renewable energy technologies.
這間公司每週出版一份關於再生能源技術的文章摘要。
Faisal found a digest of classic novels in the library's reference section.
Faisal 在圖書館的參考書區找到了一本經典小說彙編。
This legal digest covers all Supreme Court rulings from the past twelve months.
這份法律摘要涵蓋了最高法院過去十二個月的所有裁決。
- 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 — 動詞
1. To break down food in the stomach and intestines so that the body can absorb the
消化
腸胃分解食物以吸收養分
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.
手術後的幾週，Roya 無法消化固體食物。
transitive: digest + solid food / dairy / protein
Some people cannot digest dairy products because they lack the right enzymes.
有些人因為缺乏適當的酵素，無法消化乳製品。
A healthy stomach digests most foods within two to three hours.
健康的胃可以在兩到三小時內消化大多數食物。
Yuna chews her food thoroughly so that her stomach can digest it more easily.
Yuna 充分咀嚼食物，讓胃更容易消化。
The snake slowly digests the mouse it swallowed three days ago.
那條蛇慢慢消化三天前吞下的老鼠。
- 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
理解；吸收
花時間慢慢領會資訊
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.
Christopher 慢慢地閱讀合約，以消化所有法律條款。
digest + noun phrase: digest the details / information / news
The news was so shocking that Folake needed a full day to digest it.
那個消息太震驚了，Folake 需要整整一天才能消化。
Children often need to hear a new word several times before they digest its meaning.
孩子們通常需要聽一個新詞好幾次，才能理解它的意思。
Xiu wrote notes after each chapter to help digest the textbook's main ideas.
Xiu 在每個章節後寫筆記，幫助自己吸收課本的主要觀念。
Yael sat in the garden quietly, digesting everything the professor had said.
Yael 靜靜地坐在花園裡，細細消化教授說過的話。
- 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,
分解；浸提
用化學方式分解物質以萃取成分
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.
實驗室技術員用酸溶液分解岩石樣本進行檢測。
technical register: digest + sample with acid / heat
Enzymes are added to the tank to digest the organic waste into usable gas.
在槽中加入酵素，將有機廢棄物分解成可用的氣體。
Élise heated the mixture gently to digest the plant matter and release its oils.
Élise 輕輕加熱混合物，分解植物物質以釋出其中的油脂。
The industrial process digests wood chips with steam and chemicals to make paper pulp.
這個工業流程用蒸氣和化學藥劑分解木屑，製成紙漿。
- 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
摘要；濃縮
將長文壓縮為簡短版本
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.
編輯要求 Kevin 把兩百頁的報告濃縮成五段。
digest + noun + into + shortened form
This journal digests long research papers into summaries that busy doctors can read quickly.
這本期刊將長篇研究論文摘要成簡報，讓忙碌的醫生能快速閱讀。
Wren's job is to digest court rulings into short notes for the legal team.
Wren 的工作是將法院判決濃縮成簡短筆記，供法律團隊參考。
Gabriel digested the CEO's two-hour speech into a one-page briefing for the board.
Gabriel 把執行長兩小時的演講濃縮成一頁的董事會簡報。
- 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.
整理；分類
按主題或類別系統排列
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.
圖書館員按主題和年代整理了古籍收藏。
digest + noun + by + category: sort by topic / type / period
Caio digested the research notes into labelled folders before starting the essay.
Caio 在開始寫論文之前，把研究筆記分類放進標示好的資料夾。
The biologist digested the field data by species and habitat type.
那位生物學家按物種和棲息地類型整理了實地數據。
Anthony digested the archival records by decade and region for his historical study.
Anthony 按年代和地區整理了檔案記錄，供歷史研究使用。
- 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.