destructive distillation
noun Chemistry.
the decomposition of a substance, as wood or coal, by heating with a minimal exposure to air, and the collection of the volatile products formed.
QUIZZES
DON’T VACILLATE! VANQUISH THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!
It’d be a real faux pas to miss this quiz on the words from August 3–9, 2020!
Question 1 of 7
What does “vacillate” mean?
Origin of destructive distillation
First recorded in 1825–35
Words nearby destructive distillation
destructible, destruction, destructionist, destructive, destructive competition, destructive distillation, destructive interference, destructo, destructor, desuetude, desulfur
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
British Dictionary definitions for destructive distillation
destructive distillation
noun
the decomposition of a complex substance, such as wood or coal, by heating it in the absence of air and collecting the volatile products
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 destructive distillation
destructive distillation
[ dĭ-strŭk′tĭv ]
A process by which organic substances such as wood, coal, and oil shale are broken down by heat in the absence of air. This causes them to break down into solids, liquids, and gases, which are then used to make products such as coke, charcoal, oils, and ammonia.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.