fractional distillation: Meaning and Definition of

frac'tional distilla'tion

Pronunciation: [key]
— Chem. Chem.
  1. the separation of volatile components of different boiling points in a mixture by the gradual increase of temperature and the separate collection of each component.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.