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distill Definition

dis·till (di stil′)

intransitive verb -·tilled′, -·till′·ing

  1. to fall in drops; trickle; drip
  2. to undergo distillation
  3. to be produced as the essence of something

Etymology: ME distillen < OFr distiller < L distillare, for destillare, to trickle down < de-, down + stillare, to drop < stilla, a drop: see stone

transitive verb

  1. to cause or allow to fall in drops
  2. to subject to, or purify or refine by, distillation to distill water
  3. to remove, extract, or produce by distillation to distill whiskey
  4. to purify, refine, or concentrate as if by distillation to distill one's style
  5. to draw out or obtain the part that is essential, pure, etc.

distill Synonyms

distill

v.

vaporize and condense, volatilize, draw out, steam, drip, precipitate, sublimate, extract, infuse, press, purify, refine, derive, abstract, boil down, compress; see also concentrate 1, evaporate 1.

distill Usage Examples

Followed by a transitive particle

  • down: I was trying to simplify, of course, and distil things down to some manageable divisions.

Object

  • essence: The descriptions of how to distil the essence from everyday objects is fascinating.
  • information: We advocate an approach to systematic reviews that distils information into, in effect, one number: the NNT.
  • lesson: The report makes recommendations to overcome these challenges and distils lessons for the Bank and other donors.
  • strategy: Objectives are a tool to distil strategy into something executable.
  • idea: Additional value can be seen in research, design and development skills and the ability to communicate and distil often very complex ideas.

Modifying Another Word

  • then: He then distils these candid interviews into practical advice for other IS/IT project managers.

Followed by an intransitive particle

  • down: Now BP have decided to distil down their presence in Grangemouth.