Lewis & Short

dē-gusto, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a., to taste, and thus diminish a thing (cf. delibo and ἀπογεύομαι—rare but class., esp. in the trop. sense).

  1. I. Lit.: vinum, Cato R. R. 148: pabulum, Varr. R. R. 2, 5, 15: novas fruges aut vina, Plin. 18, 2, 2, § 8: vasa vel dolia, Dig. 18, 6, 1.
    1. B. Poet. transf., of fire: ignes flammā degustant tigna trabesque, lick, Lucr. 2, 192. And of a weapon that slightly touches, grazes: (lancea) summum degustat volnere corpus, Verg. A. 12, 376; imitated by Sil. 5, 274.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. To try, make trial of, make one’s self acquainted with: eandem vitam, Cic. Tusc. 5, 21: literas primis labris, Quint. 12, 2, 4: aliquid speculae ex ejus sermone, Cic. Clu. 26, 72: aliquid de fabulis, Brut. in Cic. Att. 13, 40: genus hoc exercitationum, Cic. Par. prooem. fin.: summatim ingenia maximorum virorum, Sen. Ep. 33: imperium, Tac. A. 6, 20 fin.: istum convivam tuum, Cic. Att. 4, 8 fin.
    2. B. (Acc. to no. I. B.) To touch slightly upon, to treat briefly of: plures materiae inchoatae et quasi degustatae, Quint. 10, 5, 23: haec prooemio (opp. consumere), id. 4, 1, 14: genera (opp. excutere bibliothecas), id. 10, 1, 104.