Lewis & Short

dī-gĕro, gessi, gestum, 3, v. a., to force apart, separate, divide, distribute (cf.: dispono, distribuo, divido, dispenso, ordino, compono).

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. Ingen. (so mostly post-Aug.): (insulae) interdum discordantibus ventis digeruntur (opp. junctae copulataeque), Plin. Ep. 8, 20, 6; cf. nubes (opp. congregare), Sen. Q. N. 7, 22: nimbos, Plin. 31, 4, 30, § 53; Plin. Ep. 2, 17, 9: digesti colores, Ov. F. 5, 213: stercoris pars in prata digerenda, Col. 11, 2, 18: radix digesta, Plin. 24, 17, 102, § 161: inque canes totidem trunco digestus ab uno Cerberus, divided, separated, Ov. H. 9, 93; cf.: Nilus septem in cornua, id. M. 9, 774 (for which, septem discretus in ostia Nilus, id. ib. 5, 324): Crete centum per urbes, id. H. 10, 67: populus Romanus in classes (coupled with distributus), Flor. 1, 6, 4 et saep.; cf. Ov. F. 6, 83.
      Poet.: (augur Thestorides) novem volucres in belli digerit annos, i. e. explains, interprets, Ov. M. 12, 21 (cf. omina, Verg. A. 2, 182).
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. (Post-Aug.): cibum, to cut up, divide: (dentes) qui digerunt cibum, Plin. 11, 37, 61, § 160; and still more freq., like the class. concoquere, to digest, Sen. Controv. 1 prooem.; Cels. 3, 4; 4, 7; Quint. 10, 1, 19 al.
      2. 2. In medic. lang., to dissolve, dissipate morbid matter, Cels. 5, 18 (twice); 1, 9 fin.; 2, 17 al.; Plin. 26, 7, 25, § 41 al.
        Very freq. and class.,
      3. 3. With the accessory notion of arrangement, to distribute, arrange, dispose, set in order: quas (accepti tabulas) diligentissime legi et digessi, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 23; cf. id. Rosc. Com. 3, 9: capillos, Ov. Am. 1, 7, 11: crines, Col. poet. 10, 165; cf.: crines ordine, Mart. 3, 63: asparagum, to plant in regular rows, Cato R. R. 161, 3; Plin. 19, 8, 42, § 149; cf. Verg. G. 2, 54 and 267: bibliothecam, to arrange, Suet. Caes. 44: carmina in numerum, Verg. A. 3, 446 (ordinat, disponit, Serv.).
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. In gen., to distribute (rare and not ante-Aug.): quam meruit solus poenam digessit in omnes, Ov. M. 14, 469; cf.: mala per annos longos, id. Pont. 1, 4, 9: tempora, id. F. 1, 27; cf.: annum in totidem species, Tac. G. 26 et saep.
      Freq. and class.,
    2. B. In partic., to arrange, set in order, distribute: mandata, Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 14, 3: quaestiones, Quint. 11, 2, 37; cf. id. 10, 4, 1 Spald. N. cr.: reliquos usus ejus suo loco, to relate in order, Plin. 29, 2, 10, § 37 et saep.: omina, interprets, Verg. A. 2, 182 (cf. above, no. I. A. fin.): post descripte et electe in genus quodque causae, quid cuique conveniat, ex hac copia digeremus, Cic. Inv. 1, 30, 49; cf. id. de Or. 1, 41, 186: omne jus civile in genera, id. ib. 1, 42, 190: commentarios in libros, Quint. 10, 7, 30: res in ordinem, id. ib. 7 prooem. § 1: argumenta in digitos, id. 11, 3, 114: commentarium per genera usus sui, Plin. 29, 1, 8, § 15 et saep.
      With a relat. clause: nec quid quoque anno actum sit, in tanta vetustate non modo rerum sed etiam auctorum digerere possis, Liv. 2, 21, 4: senium, digest, i. e. endure, Val. Fl. 8, 92 (cf. γῆρας ἕψειν, Pind. Olym. 1, 133).
    3. C. To consider maturely (late Lat.): consilium, Amm. 14, 6, 14; 15, 4, 1.
    4. D. To exercise (for health): si satis valet, gestando aegrum, digerere; si parum, intra domum tamen dimovere, Cels. 4, 7, 4: ne imbecillum hominem nimis digerant, id. 2, 15 med. al.
      Hence, dīgestus, a, um, P. a.
    1. A. (Acc. to I. B. 1.) That has a good digestion: purissimus et digestissimus, Marc. Empir. c. 22 med.
    2. B. (Acc. to no. II. B.) Subst.: dīgesta, ōrum, n., a name given to a collection of writings distributed under certain heads, Gell. 6, 5 init.; esp. of Justinian’s code of laws, the Pandects, Digests; cf. Just. Cod. 1, 17, 3, § 1.
      Also to the Bible, Tert. adv. Marc. 4, 3.
      Sing.: digestum Lucae, the Gospel of Luke, id. ib. 4, 5.