distil

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Borrowing from Old French distiller, from Latin dēstillō, dēstillāre.

Pronunciation

Verb

distil (third-person singular simple present distils, present participle distilling, simple past and past participle distilled)

  1. (transitive) Subject a substance to distillation; .
  2. (intransitive) Undergo or be produced by distillation.
  3. (transitive) Make by means of distillation, especially whisky.
  4. (transitive) Exude in small drops.
    Firs distil resin.
  5. (transitive) Impart in small quantities.
  6. (transitive) Extract the essence of; concentrate; purify.
    • 2005, Plato, Sophist. Translation by Lesley Brown. 239e.
      he'll pretend not to know about mirrors or water or even seeing, but will ask you to give only what can be distilled from what you say.
  7. (intransitive) Trickle down or fall in small drops; ooze out.
  8. (intransitive) Be manifested gently or gradually.
  9. (intransitive) Drip or be wet with.

Translations

subject a substance to distillation
undergo distillation
make by means of distillation
exude in small drops
trickle down in small drops

Derived terms

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Old High German

Etymology

Proto-Germanic *þistilaz, whence also Old English þistel, Old Norse þistill

Noun

distil f

  1. thistle

Descendants

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Last modified on 20 May 2013, at 18:10