I.v. a., to force apart, separate, divide, distribute (cf.: dispono, distribuo, divido, dispenso, ordino, compono).
I. Lit.
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).—
B. In partic.
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. 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. 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.).
II. Trop.
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.,
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).—
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.
A. (Acc. to I. B. 1.) That has a good digestion: purissimus et digestissimus, Marc. Empir. c. 22 med.—
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.
