[ dɪ'stɪl ]
( US ~l )
■ verb ( ~s , ~ling , ~led )
1》 purify (a liquid) by heating it so that it vaporizes, then cooling and condensing the vapour and collecting the resulting liquid.
↘make (spirits) in this way.
↘extract a volatile component of (a substance) by heating, often with a solvent.
2》 extract the essential meaning of.
Derivatives
~late noun
~lation noun
~latory adjective
Origin
ME: from L. ~lare , var. of destillare , from de- 'down, away' + stillare (from stilla 'a drop').