transitive verb reduced, reducing
- to lessen in any way, as in size, weight, amount, value, price, etc.; diminish
- to put into a simpler or more concentrated form
- to bring into a certain order; systematize
- to break up into constituent elements by analysis
- to put into a different form: to reduce a talk to writing
- to change to a different physical form, as by melting, crushing, grinding, etc.
- to lower, as in rank or position; demote; downgrade
- to bring to order, attention, obedience, etc., as by persuasion or force
- to subdue or conquer (a city or fort) by siege or attack
- to bring into difficult or wretched circumstances: a people reduced to poverty
- to compel by need to do something: reduced to stealing
- to weaken in bodily strength; make thin: reduced to skin and bones
- to thin (paint, lacquer, etc.), as with turpentine
- Arith. to change in denomination or form without changing in value: to reduce fractions to their lowest terms
- Chem.
- to decrease the positive valence of (an element or ion)
- to increase the number of electrons of (an atom, element, or ion)
- to remove the oxygen from; deoxidize
- to combine with hydrogen
- to bring into the metallic state by removing nonmetallic elements
- Cooking to boil (a liquid) in order to decrease the volume and concentrate the flavors
- Phonet. to articulate (a vowel) in a central position, giving it a neutral quality, as in an unstressed syllable
- Photog. to weaken or lower the density of (a negative or print) by removing metallic silver
- Surgery to restore (a broken bone, displaced organ, etc.) to normal position or condition