reduction
the act of reducing or the state of being reduced.
the amount by which something is reduced or diminished.
a form produced by reducing a copy on a smaller scale.
Cell Biology. meiosis, especially the first meiotic cell division in which the chromosome number is reduced by half.
Chemistry. the process or result of reducing.
Movies. the process of making a print of a narrower gauge from a print of a wider gauge: the reduction of 35-millimeter films to 16-millimeter films for the school market.
a village or settlement of Indians in South America established and governed by Spanish Jesuit missionaries.
Origin of reduction
1Other words from reduction
- re·duc·tion·al, adjective
- an·ti·re·duc·tion, adjective
- non·re·duc·tion, noun
- non·re·duc·tion·al, adjective
- o·ver·re·duc·tion, noun
- pro·re·duc·tion, adjective
- self-re·duc·tion, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for reduction
/ (rɪˈdʌkʃən) /
the act or process or an instance of reducing
the state or condition of being reduced
the amount by which something is reduced
a form of an original resulting from a reducing process, such as a copy on a smaller scale
a simplified form, such as an orchestral score arranged for piano
maths
the process of converting a fraction into its decimal form
the process of dividing out the common factors in the numerator and denominator of a fraction; cancellation
Derived forms of reduction
- reductive, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for reduction
[ rĭ-dŭk′shən ]
The changing of a fraction into a simpler form, especially by dividing the numerator and denominator by a common factor. For example, the fraction 812 can be reduced to 46, which can be further reduced to 23, in each case by dividing both the numerator and denominator by 2.
A chemical reaction in which an atom or ion gains electrons, thus undergoing a decrease in valence. If an iron atom having a valence of +3 gains an electron, the valence decreases to +2. Compare oxidation.
usage For reduction
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for reduction
Any chemical reaction in which the atoms in a material take on electrons.
Notes for reduction
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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