decoction

American  

[dih-kok-shuhn] / dɪˈkɒk ʃən /

noun

1. the act of decocting.

2. Pharmacology.

   1. an extract obtained by decocting.

   2. water in which a crude vegetable drug has been boiled and which therefore contains the constituents or principles of the substance soluble in boiling water.

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decoction British  

/ dɪˈkɒkʃən /

noun

1. pharmacol the extraction of the water-soluble substances of a drug or medicinal plants by boiling

2. the essence or liquor resulting from this

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Other Word Forms

• decoctive adjective

Etymology

Origin of decoction

1350–1400; Middle English decoccioun < Old French decoction < Late Latin dēcoctiōn- (stem of dēcoctiō ) a boiling down, equivalent to dēcoct ( us ), past participle of dēcoquere ( dē- de- + coc-, for coquere to cook ¹ + -tus past participle suffix) + -iōn- -ion

Example Sentences

It takes about 10 minutes for the decoction to percolate into the glass below.

From BBC • Aug. 4, 2023

"Stocking your fridge with decoction means freeing up time, while still savoring a super fresh, small-batch brew," she says.

From Salon • Dec. 24, 2020

At-the-ready decoction is a thrilling convenience, even for someone like me who carries her filter everywhere she goes.

From Salon • Dec. 24, 2020

The Chronicle vowed "to tell the truth about breakfasts of stale bread and rancid butterine, the watery tea, the pallid chicory decoction which serves for coffee, the crowded, dingy, and ill-ventilated dormitories".

From BBC • Jul. 1, 2014

The decoction cooled rapidly in the thin air, and as soon as it was at blood heat, she poured it carefully into a metal beaker and carried it to the rear of the cave.

From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman

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