distill

verb

dis·till | \ di-ˈstil

variants: or less commonly distil

distilled; distilling

Definition of distill

1 : to let fall, exude, or precipitate (see precipitate entry 1 sense 3b) in drops or in a wet mist some caves are dry, others distill water from invisible rifts— Norman Douglas

2a : to purify or transform (a liquid) by successive evaporation and condensation : to subject to or transform by distillation distill molasses into rum

b : to obtain by or as if by distillation distill whiskey able to distill humor from personal loss

c : to extract the essence of : concentrate distill the experience into a poem

intransitive verb

1a : to fall or materialize in drops or in a fine moisture

b : to appear slowly or in small quantities at a time

2a : to undergo distillation

b : to perform distillation

Other Words from distill Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about distill

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Synonyms for distill

Synonyms

dribble, drip, drop, trickle

Examples of distill in a Sentence

They distill the whiskey from malted barley. He has perfectly distilled the meaning of the holiday into a poem.

Recent Examples on the Web

The way Mazin distills the complexity of the situation into potent dialogue is a marvel. Overarching all of the above is Chernobyl’s most vital quality: Its devastating exposure of gigantic political failure. — Kyle Smith, National Review, "Chernobyl: Devastating Indictment of Socialism, Not Trumpism," 5 June 2019 That has helped drive up inflation expectations, as well as distill a higher degree of confidence that the Fed will be able to keep raising interest rates at its current slow but steady pace, Mr. Lorizio said. — Akane Otani, WSJ, "Bond Yields Surge, Signaling Growth Hopes," 3 Oct. 2018 Since designing a completely Middle Eastern-style home would be hard in a cold climate, Vaux attempted to distill that same feel by creating a complex of stone rooms built around a central courtyard with a roof. — Cator Sparks, House Beautiful, "The Fascinating History Behind This Moorish-Style Home in Upstate New York," 3 May 2019 The single franchise that kind of distills everything about being a modern fan in the NBA right now is the Bucks. — SI.com, "Best NBA Bandwagons: What Fanbase Should You Join?," 16 Mar. 2018 My Little Scythe distills the original game down to an experience that children can enjoy. — Aaron Zimmerman, Ars Technica, "The hottest new board games from Gen Con 2018," 11 Aug. 2018 Aside from beer, Left Coast’s Irvine location will distill vodka, rum, whiskey and gin — a first for the company. — Ben Brazil, latimes.com, "San Clemente’s Left Coast Brewing Co. opens an Irvine location," 12 July 2018 In a world that seemed on the verge of forgetting how to do anything for itself, here were instructions about how to butcher a hog, build a cabin and distill moonshine. — Max Watman, WSJ, "‘Travels With Foxfire’ Review: Like They Do in the Mountains," 16 Aug. 2018 This new book distills the explanations he's found most relevant since then. — Sarah Lewin, Space.com, "Stephen Hawking's Children and Colleagues Discuss Physicist's Final Book, Legacy," 17 Oct. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'distill.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.