Synonyms

distill

American

[dih-stil] / dɪˈstɪl /

especially British, distil

verb (used with object)

to subject to a process of vaporization and subsequent condensation, as for purification or concentration.
to extract the volatile components of by distillation; transform by distillation.
to concentrate, purify, or obtain by or as by distillation.

to distill whiskey from mash.
to remove by distillation (usually followed by off orout ).

to distill out impurities.
to extract the essential elements of; refine; abstract.

She managed to distill her ideas into one succinct article.
to let fall in drops; give forth in or as in drops.

The cool of the night distills the dew.

verb (used without object)

to undergo or perform distillation.
to become vaporized and then condensed in distillation.
to drop, pass, or condense as a distillate.
to fall in drops; trickle; exude.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of distill

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English distillen (from Anglo-French distiller ), from Latin distillāre, variant of dēstillāre, equivalent to dē- de- + stillāre to drip

Explanation

When you distill something, you are boiling it down to its essence — its most important part. Whether it's alcohol or ideas, the distilled part is the most powerful. The original meaning of distill comes from the process of making alcohol, known as distilling, in which all the impurities of a substance are vaporized and its pure, high-alcohol condensation collected. Distill eventually came to mean any process in which the essence of something is revealed. If you take notes at a lecture and then turn them into an essay for your professor, you're distilling your notes into something more pure and exact. At least, that's what you hope you're doing.

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Vocabulary lists containing distill

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Jess Distill, who works in a cafe, is 37 and has lived her whole life - except for university - in St Albans.

From BBC • Jun. 18, 2024

She was recruited in 2018 specifically to develop Distill Ventures’ no- and low-alcohol portfolio, and she is now uniquely positioned in a growing segment of what has long been a male-dominated space.

From New York Times • Apr. 27, 2023

Seedlip is the first non-alcoholic investment by Distill, an investment vehicle supported by Diageo which backs start-ups and has put more than £60m into 15 different new products.

From BBC • Aug. 17, 2019

The global corporation now makes its marketing managers pitch for their ad budgets, like the entrepreneurs who present at Distill Ventures' laid-back office for 20-30 minutes and get an answer on the spot.

From Reuters • May 24, 2017

Distill two handfuls of jessamine flowers in a quart of rose-water and a quart of orange-water.

From The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness A Complete Hand Book for the Use of the Lady in Polite Society by Hartley, Florence

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023