distillate
Americannoun
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the product obtained from the condensation of vapors in distillation.
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any concentration, essence, or abstraction.
noun
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Also called: distillation. the product of distillation
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a concentrated essence
Etymology
Origin of distillate
1860–65; < Latin distillātus (past participle of distillāre to trickle down), equivalent to distill- distill + -ātus -ate 1
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.
Both fuels come from the same middle-distillate group at the refining stage, while gasoline is a light distillate.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026
But U.S. demand for distillate fuels hasn’t changed even as on-road prices for diesel have increased by more than $2.60.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
The Gulf Coast produces far more diesel than it consumes and accounted for roughly 90% of U.S. distillate exports last year, while the East and West coasts rely in part on imports.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
U.S. distillate inventories, which include diesel, are 13% below their five-year average, according to the latest report from the Energy Information Administration.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
As for postmedieval petroleum distillation, 19th-century chemists found the middle distillate fraction useful as fuel for oil lamps.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
