在法律英語(yǔ)中，digest有“判例摘要”的含義，指英美國(guó)家法院出版的一種判例摘要匯編[1]。其與abridgement (節(jié)本、節(jié)略）之間的差異在于abridgement所含的內(nèi)容單一，編輯者只需將原著進(jìn)行并縮即可。而digest則內(nèi)容廣泛，具有自己的分類體系和編排[2]。在digest中，American digest system指“美國(guó)判例摘要匯編檢索體系”[3]，收錄了全美所有終審法院（包括聯(lián)邦和各州）的判例，按編年史的順序依照不同的法律主體進(jìn)行編排， 共分7大類，再分亞類及細(xì)目（topics)，總共有400個(gè)細(xì)目，每個(gè)細(xì)目涉及一法律概念（legal concept)，該體系包括一部《世紀(jì)判例摘要》（Century Digest) (1897 ~ 1905年），8部《十年判例摘要》（Decennial Digest)，《第九部十年案例摘要》（the Ninth Necennial Digest,分 Part 1 和 Part 2)以及《判例摘要大全》（General  Digest)。英國(guó)的判例檢索體系則主要包括有《英格蘭和帝國(guó)判例摘要》、《英格蘭判例法判例摘要》等。
[1] "A collection of summaries of reported cases, arranged by subject and subdivided by jurisdiction and court. ”Cf. Bryan A. Gamer, Black's Law Dictionary, 7th edition, at p. 467，West Group (1999).
[2]“As a legal term, digest is to be distinguished from abridgement. The latter is a summary or epitome of the contents of a single work，in which，as a rule，the original order or sequence of parts is preserved, and in which the principal labor of the compiler is in the matter of consolidation. A digest is wider in its scope；is made up of quotations or paraphrased passages, and has its own system of classification and arrangement. ” Cf. The Publisher's Editorial Staff, Black's Law Dictionary, abridged 6th edition, at p. 313, West Publishing Co. (1991).
[3]“The American digest system covers the decisions of all American courts of last resort, state and federal. " Cf. Bryan A. Gamer, Black's Law Dictionary, 7th edition, at p. 467，West Group (1999).