Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To subject (a substance) to distillation.
  • intransitive verb To separate (a distillate) by distillation.
  • intransitive verb To increase the concentration of, separate, or purify by or as if by distillation.
  • intransitive verb To separate or extract the essential elements of.
  • intransitive verb To exude or give off (matter) in drops or small quantities.
  • intransitive verb To undergo or be produced by distillation.
  • intransitive verb To fall or exude in drops or small quantities.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • intransitive verb To drop; to fall in drops; to trickle.
  • intransitive verb To flow gently, or in a small stream.
  • intransitive verb To practice the art of distillation.
  • transitive verb To let fall or send down in drops.
  • transitive verb To obtain by distillation; to subject to a process of evaporation and subsequent condensation; to extract by distillation, as spirits, essential oil, etc.; to rectify
  • transitive verb To subject to distillation
  • transitive verb rare To dissolve or melt.
  • transitive verb to extract out and present the essence of; to shorten and refine; to present the essential elements of; -- of ideas or texts.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb transitive To subject a substance to distillation.
  • verb intransitive To undergo or be produced by distillation.
  • verb transitive To make by means of distillation, especially whisky.
  • verb transitive To exude in small drops.
  • verb transitive To impart in small quantities.
  • verb transitive To extract the essence of; concentrate; purify.
  • verb intransitive To trickle down or fall in small drops; ooze out.
  • verb intransitive To be manifested gently or gradually.
  • verb intransitive To drip or be wet with.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb undergo condensation; change from a gaseous to a liquid state and fall in drops
  • verb extract by the process of distillation
  • verb remove impurities from, increase the concentration of, and separate through the process of distillation
  • verb give off (a liquid)
  • verb undergo the process of distillation

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English distillen, from Old French distiller, from Latin distillāre, variant of dēstillāre, to trickle : dē-, de- + stillāre, to drip (from stilla, drop).]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Old & modern French distiller, from Latin distillare

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Examples

Comments

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  • "alembic" would be a good word to include as a related word!

    September 25, 2023