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).
* 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.
* 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.
* Trop.
* 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.
* (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.

s. TLL