Distill

To distill means to purify or concentrate a substance by vaporizing it and then condensing the vapor. This process is often used in chemistry and cooking, particularly in the production of alcoholic beverages and essential oils. Beyond the literal meaning, 'distill' can also describe the extraction of the essential meaning or essence from something complex, such as ideas, information, or experiences. It implies a process of refining and clarifying to arrive at a core understanding. Distillation often involves removing unwanted elements or details to obtain a purer or more concentrated form.

Distill meaning with examples

• The chemist used a still to distill the crude oil, separating it into various components like gasoline and kerosene. The process of distilling allowed for a cleaner extraction of valuable resources. They were careful with the heat, and collected the cooled condensates, ensuring a complete separation. Their detailed process, involving multiple distillations resulted in high purity product.
• The chef carefully distilled the essence of the vegetable broth by simmering it for hours and then straining it, resulting in a concentrated and flavorful base for the soup. He added herbs and spices to enrich the essence. Their expertise came out in the rich flavors. The result was far superior to anything from a can.
• After reading the lengthy report, the project manager had to distill the key findings and present them to the team in a concise summary. The project manager extracted the key facts, summarizing the details. Their main goal was to make sure the essence of the message reached the team. They made sure the report was understood in its essence.
• The writer spent weeks researching the history of the region before distilling the essential elements of the story into a compelling novel. Through distillation, they discovered important new concepts. The story became very focused after this. They knew the story would draw readers' attention.
• The teacher encouraged her students to distill the main ideas from the complex text, focusing on the core arguments and evidence to understand the subject matter. The essence of the matter was extracted. They ensured that the essence of the material was well known. Their methods were known for getting to the basics.