distillation

[dis-tl-ey-shuhn]

noun

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. a product of distilling; distillate.

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

distillation

/ ˌdɪstɪˈleɪʃən /

noun

1. the act, process, or product of distilling

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

3. purification or separation of mixture by using different evaporation rates or boiling points of their components See also fractional distillation

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

5. another name for distillate

6. a concentrated essence

distillation

1. 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.

2. ◆ The condensed vapor, which is the purified liquid, is called the distillate.

distillation

1. 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.

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.”

Other Word Forms

• distillatory adjective
• distillative adjective
• nondistillation noun
• redistillation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of distillation¹

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

Example Sentences

While it is naturally produced during the manufacture of alcoholic drinks, commercial firms reduce it to low, safe levels for human consumption through the distillation process.

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“I love stores, it’s the pure distillation of the designer’s vision,” says Pantin.

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These games, intended to “push the boundaries of human performance,” in their own description, are actually a convenient distillation of what’s wrong with doping.

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“Riot Women” is, in many ways, a distillation of her oeuvre.

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The refinery’s massive fuel storage tanks, distillation towers and sprawling pipeline have also been a long-standing source of community concern.

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Related Words

• purification