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

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 Kim's meeting with the Uganda president isn't the first time that KKW has had to distill her life's work into the barest of facts. — Andrea Park, Teen Vogue, "Kim Kardashian West Had to Explain Her Job to the Controversial President of Uganda in a Meeting That Also Included Kanye," 16 Oct. 2018 Behind that façade an expat Englishman and his team work to distill every bottle of Ki No Bi (or Beauty of the Seasons). — Mark Ellwood, Condé Nast Traveler, "Come to Kyoto for the Sake, Stay for the Gin," 17 Aug. 2018 To distill Gadsby's insights into a summary of her points would be an injustice. — Jenny Hollander, Marie Claire, "13 Hannah Gadsby 'Nanette' Quotes You Won't Be Able to Stop Thinking About," 20 July 2018 Prerogative distills that idea into what might be her most exciting scent yet. — Tynan Sinks, Allure, "Britney Spears Talks to Allure About the Inspiration Behind Her Latest Perfume, Prerogative," 18 July 2018 Its nine hotels — including locations in Chicago, London, Los Angeles and New Orleans — aim to distill the creative vibe of each city by hosting events featuring local musicians, artists, writers and filmmakers. — Elaine Glusac, New York Times, "From Ace Hotel, a New City and a New Brand," 25 June 2018 No word—no matter how descriptive—could ever distill all the nuance and complexity that is a single human being. — Orrin Hatch, WSJ, "Identity Politics Threatens the American Experiment," 18 May 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.