concentrate

1 of 2

verb

con·​cen·​trate ˈkän(t)-sən-ˌtrāt How to pronounce concentrate (audio)
-ˌsen-
concentrated; concentrating

transitive verb

1
a
: to bring or direct toward a common center or objective : focus
concentrate one's efforts
The lenses concentrate sunlight.
b
: to gather into one body, mass, or force
Power was concentrated in a few able hands.
concentrate the energy of a sound wave
c
: to accumulate (a toxic substance) in bodily tissues
Fish concentrate mercury.
2
a
: to make less dilute
concentrate syrup
b
: to express or exhibit in condensed form

intransitive verb

1
: to draw toward or meet in a common center
2
: gather, collect
Cuban immigrants who concentrate in Florida
3
: to focus one's powers, efforts, or attention
concentrate on a problem
Farmers are concentrating on the wheat harvest.
concentrative adjective

concentrate

2 of 2

noun

1
: something concentrated: such as
a
: a mineral-rich product obtained after an initial processing of ore
b
: a food reduced in bulk by elimination of fluid
orange juice concentrate
2
: a feedstuff (such as grains) relatively rich in digestible nutrients compare fiber

Examples of concentrate in a Sentence

Verb All that noise makes it hard to concentrate. The student has difficulty concentrating. The sauce should be simmered for a few minutes to concentrate its flavors. Noun a frozen orange juice concentrate Is this orange juice fresh or is it made from concentrate?
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The once nearly all-White district is now 15.5 percent Asian, according to the nonprofit Virginia Public Access Project, growth that is largely concentrated in the vote-heavy Loudoun County area. Antonio Olivo, Washington Post, 16 Nov. 2023 Beyond concentrating on specific teams, organizations like the AP and BBC are training journalists throughout the world in some of these techniques. David Bauder, Fortune, 13 Nov. 2023 The filling is roasted first to draw out and concentrate the apple juices, ensuring soft, cooked fruit and a fully baked bottom crust in the finished pie. Claire Saffitz, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2023 Long-term exposures can lead to irritability, lethargy, fatigue, muscle aches or muscle prickling/burning, occasional abdominal discomfort, constipation, difficulty concentrating, muscular exhaustibility, tremor, or weight loss. Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 6 Nov. 2023 The company has concentrated its physical store ambitions on its grocery outlets, including Amazon Fresh stores and Whole Foods Market. Sebastian Herrera, WSJ, 2 Nov. 2023 The testers were to hold the can 6 to 8 inches from their hair to avoid concentrating the product too much and causing a sticky effect. Rebecca Norris, Peoplemag, 1 Nov. 2023 The theater's April announcement on the season change also included news that Trice, whose title had been executive artistic director, would be handing over artistic duties to Martin and concentrate on administration, finance and marketing. Eric E. Harrison, Arkansas Online, 3 Nov. 2023 During the years that DeLonge and Hoppus were at odds, Barker concentrated on developing other new skills. Amy Kaufman, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2023
Noun
To prepare, simply mix one part of the chai concentrate with one part milk (or a milk alternative) and enjoy hot or iced. Melanie Fincher, Southern Living, 17 Nov. 2023 Furthermore, technological advancements have improved extraction methods, leading to higher-quality cannabis concentrates and oils. Peter Su, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2023 Plans call for a cannabis beverage garden, joint rolling stations and dab bars to burn concentrates. Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2023 In the case of pressure washers, pour the concentrate into the machine’s tank. Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 16 Aug. 2023 This has led to an increase in the availability of delta 8 products on the market, including edibles, concentrates, and vape cartridges. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 6 Aug. 2023 Such markets offer a variety of products that differ in mediums — like flower, vapes, topicals, edibles, concentrates and tinctures — as well as potency, effects, onset time, quality and aesthetics (branding and marketing). Niklas Kouparanis, Rolling Stone, 26 July 2023 Delta 8 comes in various forms such as vape cartridges, edibles, tinctures, or concentrates. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 31 Aug. 2023 The starter kit contains a 14-ounce spray bottle and two 1-ounce glass bottles of concentrate. Carolyn Forté, Good Housekeeping, 15 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'concentrate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

com- + Latin centrum center

First Known Use

Verb

1628, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

1871, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of concentrate was in 1628

Dictionary Entries Near concentrate

Cite this Entry

“Concentrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/concentrate. Accessed 30 Nov. 2023.

Kids Definition

concentrate

1 of 2 verb
con·​cen·​trate ˈkän(t)-sən-ˌtrāt How to pronounce concentrate (audio)
-sen-
concentrated; concentrating
1
a
: to bring, direct, or come toward or meet in a common center or objective
concentrate one's efforts
b
: to gather into one body, mass, or force
2
: to increase the amount of a substance in a space by removing other substances with which it is mixed or in which it is dissolved
concentrate syrup
concentrate ore
3
: to fix one's powers, efforts, or attention on one thing
concentrate on a problem
concentrator
-ˌtrāt-ər
noun

concentrate

2 of 2 noun
: something concentrated
frozen orange juice concentrate

Medical Definition

concentrate

1 of 2 verb
con·​cen·​trate ˈkän(t)-sən-ˌtrāt, -ˌsen- How to pronounce concentrate (audio)
concentrated; concentrating

transitive verb

1
a
: to bring or direct toward a common center or objective : focus
b
: to accumulate (a toxic substance) in bodily tissues
fish concentrate mercury
2
: to make less dilute
concentrate syrup

intransitive verb

: to fix one's powers, efforts, or attention on one thing
concentrate on a problem
concentrator noun

concentrate

2 of 2 noun
: something prepared by concentration
especially : a food reduced in bulk by elimination of fluid
orange juice concentrate

More from Merriam-Webster on concentrate

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