Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense distils, present participle distilling, past tense, past participle distilledregional note: in AM, use distill
1. verb
If a liquid such as whisky or water is distilled, it is heated until it changes into steam or vapour and then cooled until it becomes liquid again. This is usually done in order to make it pure.
The whisky had been distilled in 1926 and sat quietly maturing until 1987. [beVERB-ed]
You can't actually drink the water from the marshland. But you can distil it. [VERB noun]
When water is used this must be distilled water or spring water; never tap water. [VERB-ed]
Synonyms: purify, process, filter, refine More Synonyms of distil
distillation (dɪstɪleɪʃən)uncountable noun
Any faults in the original cider stood out sharply after distillation.
Synonyms: distilling, processing, refining, purification More Synonyms of distil
Synonyms: essence, extract, elixir, spirit More Synonyms of distil
2. verb
If an oil or liquid is distilledfrom a plant, it is produced by a process which extracts the most essential part of the plant. To distil a plant means to produce an oil or liquid from it by this process.
The oil is distilled from the berries of this small tree. [beVERB-ed + from]
...the art of distilling rose petals. [VERB noun]
A skin lotion distilled from the root is a marvellous cure for sore rashes and spots. [VERB-ed]
[Also VERB noun from noun]
Synonyms: extract, express, squeeze, obtain More Synonyms of distil
distillationuncountable noun
...the distillation of rose petals to produce rosewater. [+ of]
Synonyms: distilling, processing, refining, purification More Synonyms of distil
Synonyms: essence, extract, elixir, spirit More Synonyms of distil
3. verb
If a thought or idea is distilledfrom previous thoughts, ideas, or experiences, it comes from them. If it is distilledinto something, it becomes part of that thing.
Reviews are distilled from articles previously published in the main column. [beVERB-ed + from]
Eventually passion was distilled into the natural beauty of a balmy night. [beV-ed into n]
Roy distills these messages into something powerful. [VERB noun + into]
The advice is based on the distilled wisdom of a panel of heart specialists. [VERB-ed]
distillationsingular noun
The material below is a distillation of his work. [+ of]
Synonyms: distilling, processing, refining, purification More Synonyms of distil
Synonyms: essence, extract, elixir, spirit More Synonyms of distil
More Synonyms of distil
distil in British English
or US distill (dɪsˈtɪl)
verbWord forms: -tils, -tills, -tilling or -tilled
1.
to subject to or undergo distillation
See also rectify (sense 2)
2. (sometimes foll byout or off)
to purify, separate, or concentrate, or be purified, separated, or concentrated by distillation
3.
to obtain or be obtained by distillation
to distil whisky
4.
to exude or give off (a substance) in drops or small quantities
5. (transitive)
to extract the essence of as if by distillation
Derived forms
distillable (disˈtillable)
adjective
Word origin
C14: from Latin dēstillāre to distil, from de- + stillāre to drip
Examples of 'distil' in a sentence
distil
And a distillery name may be used only if the whisky was distilled there.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
In other languages
distil
British English: distil VERB
If a liquid such as whisky or water is distilled, it is heated until it changes into steam or vapour and then cooled until it becomes liquid again. This is usually done in order to make it pure.
Pure water is vital in whisky distilling.
American English: distill
Brazilian Portuguese: destilar
Chinese: 蒸馏
European Spanish: destilar
French: distiller
German: destillieren
Italian: distillare
Japanese: 蒸留する
Korean: 증류하다
European Portuguese: destilar
Latin American Spanish: destilar
Chinese translation of 'distil'
distil
or (US) distill
(dɪsˈtɪl)
vt
[water, whisky]蒸馏(餾) (zhēngliú)
(= extract)[information, ideas etc]
distilled from sth提取某物的精华(華) (tíqǔ mǒuwù de jīnghuá)
1 (verb)
Definition
to subject to or obtain by distillation
The whisky had been distilled in 1926.
Synonyms
ferment
red wine made from grapes left to ferment for three weeks
make
They now make cars at two plants in Europe.
produce
The company produces circuitry for communications systems.
brew
I brew my own iced tea.
2 (verb)
Definition
to subject to or obtain by distillation
When water is used it must be distilled.
Synonyms
purify
Plants can filter and purify the air in your office.
process
facilities to process the beans before export
Silicon chips process electrical signals.
filter
The best prevention for cholera is to filter water.
refine
Oil is refined so as to remove naturally occurring impurities.
treat
About 70% of the area is treated with insecticide.
evaporate
Moisture is drawn to the surface of the fabric so that it evaporates.
condense
sublimate
vaporize
3 (verb)
Definition
to extract the essence of
The oil is distilled from the berries.
Synonyms
extract
Citric acid can be extracted from the juice of oranges.
express
squeeze
Joe squeezed some juice from the oranges.
obtain
take out
draw out
separate out
press out
Additional synonyms
in the sense of brew
Definition
to make (beer, ale, etc.) from malt and other ingredients by steeping, boiling, and fermentation
I brew my own iced tea.
Synonyms
make,
ferment,
prepare by fermentation
in the sense of evaporate
Definition
to change from a liquid or solid to a vapour
Moisture is drawn to the surface of the fabric so that it evaporates.