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.
“With the loss of Port Arthur, your distillate crisis has gone up another level,” said Paul Sankey, analyst of Sankey Research, at an energy conference in Houston on Tuesday.
From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026
Demand for distillate fuel fell by 571,000 barrels a day to 3.5 million barrels a day.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 22, 2026
Energy Information Administration reports that national distillate fuel oil consumption is overwhelmingly concentrated in the transportation industry.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 3, 2026
The traditionally Mexican distillate is derived from the agave plant, often using methods that have been honed across generations, with varieties that impart flavors ranging from smoky to earthy and acidic.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 3, 2024
The news stirred up something infinitely black and evil in the town; the black distillate was like the scorpion, or like hunger in the smell of food, or like loneliness when love is withheld.
From "The Pearl" by John Steinbeck
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.
