distill: Meaning and Definition of

dis•till

Pronunciation: (di-stil'), [key]
— v.t.
  1. to subject to a process of vaporization and subsequent condensation, as for purification or concentration.
  2. to extract the volatile components of by distillation; transform by distillation.
  3. to concentrate, purify, or obtain by or as by distillation: to distill whiskey from mash.
  4. to remove by distillation (usually fol. by off or out): to distill out impurities.
  5. to extract the essential elements of; refine; abstract: She managed to distill her ideas into one succinct article.
  6. to let fall in drops; give forth in or as in drops: The cool of the night distills the dew.
—v.i.
  1. to undergo or perform distillation.
  2. to become vaporized and then condensed in distillation.
  3. to drop, pass, or condense as a distillate.
  4. to fall in drops; trickle; exude.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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