Distill Meaning in English
word
Definition
To heat a liquid so that it turns into vapor and then cool it to get a purified liquid; also used metaphorically to mean to extract the most important part of something.
Usage & Nuances
Formal and scientific in direct use (chemistry, alcohol production); metaphorically means summarizing or refining ideas ('distill the main points'). Often confused with 'extract'. Common collocations: 'distill water', 'distill knowledge', 'distill essence'.
Example Sentences
After hours of work, she managed to distill her experiences into a short story.
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Scientists distill water to remove impurities.
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They distill perfume from flowers.
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Can you distill the main ideas from this report?
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His style is simple—he knows how to distill complex thoughts.
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You can distill alcohol using this machine.
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