digester

American  

[dih-jes-ter, dahy-] / dɪˈdʒɛs tər, daɪ- /

noun

1. a person or thing that digests.

2. Chemistry. Also digestor an apparatus in which substances are softened or disintegrated by moisture, heat, chemical action, or the like.

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digester British  

/ dɪˈdʒɛstə, daɪ- /

noun

1. chem an apparatus or vessel, such as an autoclave, in which digestion is carried out

2. a less common word for digestant

3. a person or thing that digests

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Etymology

Origin of digester

First recorded in 1570–80; digest + -er ¹

Example Sentences

This is collected by local councils and fed into a digester, and once again the bacteria get to work.

From BBC • Dec. 17, 2025

Instead, “that money went to this dairy digester program that does not benefit this area.”

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 23, 2025

And New York State requires large food businesses to donate excess edible food and recycle remaining scraps if they are within 25 miles of a composting facility or anaerobic digester.

From New York Times • Jun. 12, 2024

Early this year, the prospect of a new digester in Rock Valley, Iowa, was heralded as a sustainable solution for nearby farming communities in the northwest corner of the state.

From Salon • Nov. 5, 2022

Has soup prepared by dissolving meat bones in a Papin's digester ever been known to produce ossification of any of the soft tissues?

From Scientific American, Volume XXXVI., No. 8, February 24, 1877 A Weekly Journal of Practical Information, Art, Science, Mechanics, Chemistry, and Manufactures. by Various