distillation

[ dis-tl-ey-shuhn ]

/ ˌdɪs tlˈeɪ ʃən /

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See synonyms for distillation on Thesaurus.com

noun

the volatilization or evaporation and subsequent condensation of a liquid, as when water is boiled in a retort and the steam is condensed in a cool receiver.

the purification or concentration of a substance, the obtaining of the essence or volatile properties contained in it, or the separation of one substance from another, by such a process.

a product of distilling; distillate.

the act or fact of distilling or the state of being distilled.

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Origin of distillation

1350–1400; Middle English distillacioun (<Anglo-French ) <Latin distillātiōn- (stem of distillātiō), equivalent to distillāt(us) distillate + -iōn--ion

OTHER WORDS FROM distillation

dis·til·la·to·ry

[dih-stil-uh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee], /dɪˈstɪl əˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i/, dis·til·la·tive

[dih-stil-uh-tiv], /dɪˈstɪl ə tɪv/, adjectivenon·dis·til·la·tion, nounre·dis·til·la·tion, noun

Words nearby distillation

distichous, distil, distill, distilland, distillate, distillation, distillation column, distilled, distilled water, distiller, distillers' grain

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use distillation in a sentence

Preceding all those Gen Z memes and TikToks about the tragic unhipness of skinny jeans and Harry Potter fandom, that pitch-perfect first season was a prescient distillation of millennial anxieties about their waning cultural relevance.
‘The Other Two’ is still the funniest show on TV|Inkoo Kang|August 26, 2021|Washington Post
The memo was a distillation of the points Gloria had already raised at two City Council meetings that same year.
City Tried to Withhold Memo That Was Already Public|Jesse Marx|June 8, 2021|Voice of San Diego
Arak is from the Arabic word for “sweat,” which is sort of unappetizing but also accurately describes the distillation process in action.
Reinventing the World’s Oldest Spirit for the Modern Drinker|Wayne Curtis|June 7, 2021|The Daily Beast
The Waterloo researchers wanted to take the distillation process further.
A radical new technique lets AI learn with practically no data|Karen Hao|October 16, 2020|MIT Technology Review

The result is a perfect distillation of the ethos of The Flavor Equation, which comes out on October 27 and is featured in Eater’s fall 2020 cookbook preview.
This Baked Sweet Potato Recipe Will Enliven All of Your Senses|Patty Diez|October 6, 2020|Eater
Desert Golfing is the distillation of Angry Birds into its purest essence.
Lost For Thousands of Strokes: 'Desert Golfing' Is 'Angry Birds' as Modern Art|Alec Kubas-Meyer|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But the copper performs another important function: working as a catalyst in the distillation process.
When It Comes to Great Whisky, The Size of Your Still Matters||December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Why the size and shape of a copper still is at the core of whisky distillation.
When It Comes to Great Whisky, The Size of Your Still Matters||December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The low wine then goes through a second distillation phase in a smaller spirit still—but more on that in a moment.
When It Comes to Great Whisky, The Size of Your Still Matters||December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
To produce deliciously smooth drams of single malt, the region has refined the ancient art of distillation.
When It Comes to Great Whisky, The Size of Your Still Matters||December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The yield was increased by acidulating the mixture with sulphuric acid before the distillation.
Some Constituents of the Poison Ivy Plant: (Rhus Toxicodendron)|William Anderson Syme
By distillation a small quantity of oil was isolated, which possesses the characteristic odor of the preparation.
The Propaganda for Reform in Proprietary Medicines, Vol. 1 of 2|Various
He has repeatedly obtained it from distillation from human pathological fluids.
Cooley's Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades..., Sixth Edition, Volume I|Arnold Cooley
From the tincture prepared with proof spirit, by distillation and evaporation.
Cooley's Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades..., Sixth Edition, Volume I|Arnold Cooley
Anthracene is one of the last products passing over in the dry distillation of coal-tar.
Cooley's Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades..., Sixth Edition, Volume I|Arnold Cooley

British Dictionary definitions for distillation

distillation

/ (ˌdɪstɪˈleɪʃən) /

noun

the act, process, or product of distilling

the process of evaporating or boiling a liquid and condensing its vapour

purification or separation of mixture by using different evaporation rates or boiling points of their componentsSee also fractional distillation

the process of obtaining the essence or an extract of a substance, usually by heating it in a solvent

another name for distillate (def. 1)

a concentrated essence

Derived forms of distillation

distillatory, adjective

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 distillation

distillation

[ dĭs′tə-lā′shən ]

A method of separating a substance that is in solution from its solvent or of separating a liquid from a mixture of liquids having different boiling points. The liquid to be separated is evaporated (as by boiling), and its vapor is then collected after it condenses. Distillation is used to separate fresh water from a salt solution and gasoline from petroleum.♦ The condensed vapor, which is the purified liquid, is called the distillate.

Cultural definitions for distillation

distillation

In chemistry, the separating of the constituents of a liquid by boiling it and then condensing the vapor that results. Distillation can be used to purify water or other substances, or to remove one component from a complex mixture, as when gasoline is distilled from crude oil or alcohol from a mash. When water is purified by distillation, it is boiled in a container, and the steam is sent into cooling tubes. The steam is condensed and then collected as purified water in a second container. The impurities in the water are left behind in the first container and can be discarded.

notes for distillation

Figuratively, “distillation” is the process of retaining the essential features or components of something while removing nonessentials: “This book represents knowledge distilled from decades of research.”

distillation

Origin of distillation

OTHER WORDS FROM distillation

Words nearby distillation

Words related to distillation

How to use distillation in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for distillation

Derived forms of distillation

Scientific definitions for distillation

Cultural definitions for distillation

notes for distillation