distil
/dɪˈstɪl/ IELTSAcademic
verb
- 1.
To remove liquid from a mixture by heating it and then cooling the vapor. This makes a purer liquid, often alcohol or water.
- They distil water for the experiment.
- The company distils the spirit in copper stills.
- 2.
To take the most important parts from ideas, facts, or experience. It means to simplify carefully.
- She distils long reports into short summaries.
- The book distils years of research into one guide.
Adinary Nuance
Distil is closer to “extract” and “refine” than to “summarise.” Use it when something is reduced to its purest or most important form. Writers choose it for careful, polished simplification, not quick shortening.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- chưng cất
- Spanish
- destilar
- Chinese
- 蒸馏
- Japanese
- 蒸留する
- Korean
- 증류하다
Etymology
From Latin distillare, meaning “to drip down.” It came into English through Old French in the late Middle Ages.
Common phrases
distil waterdistil spiritsdistil the essence ofdistil into a summary
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is distil the same as summarise?
- Not exactly. Distil means to reduce something to its most important parts, often with care and precision.
- Is distil used in science?
- Yes. It is commonly used in chemistry and in making alcohol or purified water.
- Is distil formal or informal?
- It is fairly formal and common in writing, study, and professional contexts.
- What is the difference between distil and extract?
- Extract means to take something out. Distil means to refine it into a purer or shorter form.