distill
gb/dɪstˈɪl/ us/dɪstˈɪl/
B2
Inglés
Acepciones
0 acepciones
Verbo
B2
action
1
reduce to the main points
To make something long or complex shorter and clearer by keeping only the main ideas.
Patrón de uso:
distill [something] (into [something])
Error frecuente:
Don’t use it for simple shortening (like cutting a paragraph); it usually means finding the key idea or essence.
Sinónimos
summarize (More general; may not imply extracting the essence.)
|
condense (Emphasizes making something shorter.)
|
boil down (More informal phrasing for reducing to essentials.)
Antónimos
expand (Adds detail rather than removing it.)
|
elaborate (Develops ideas with more explanation.)
Colocaciones
distill information
|distill the key points
|distill a message
|distill ideas
|distill an argument
|distill a report
|distill findings
|distill insights
|distill complex data
|distill the essence
Temas
education
|writing
|communication
|business
Ejemplos
- The editor helped distill the article into three clear takeaways.
- Her job is to distill complex research into plain language.
- Can you distill your argument to one sentence?
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- Please distill the main points of this report.
- He distilled the lesson into a short rule.
Verbo
C1
process
2
make alcohol by distillation
To make strong alcohol like whiskey or vodka using heat and cooling.
Patrón de uso:
distill [spirit/alcohol] (from [something])
Error frecuente:
Don’t confuse with 'ferment': fermenting creates alcohol; distilling concentrates it.
Sinónimos
make (Much broader; does not specify the distillation process.)
|
rectify (More technical; refine alcohol by repeated distillation.)
Antónimos
dilute (Reduces alcohol strength rather than concentrating it.)
Colocaciones
distill whiskey
|distill vodka
|distill gin
|distill rum
|distill brandy
|distill spirits
|distill alcohol
|distill a mash
|distill a wash
|illegally distill
Temas
food_and_drink
|industry
|chemistry
Ejemplos
- The family has distilled whiskey on the farm for generations.
- They distill the spirit from fermented grain in copper stills.
- In many places, it’s illegal to distill alcohol at home without a license.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- This company distills gin.
- They distill alcohol in a factory.
Verbo
technical
C1
process
3
purify a liquid by distillation
To clean a liquid by heating it and collecting the vapor as a liquid again.
Patrón de uso:
distill [liquid] (from [mixture/source])
Error frecuente:
Distillation is different from filtration: filtration removes solids; distillation separates substances by boiling/condensing.
Sinónimos
purify (General term; does not specify the method.)
|
refine (Often industrial; may use multiple processes, not only distillation.)
Antónimos
contaminate (Makes a substance less pure.)
Colocaciones
distill water
|distill seawater
|distill a solution
|distill a mixture
|distill essential oils
|distill petroleum
|distill crude oil
|distill a solvent
|distill fractions
|distill impurities
Temas
science
|chemistry
|environment
Ejemplos
- In the lab, we distilled the solvent to remove impurities.
- Some systems distill seawater to produce drinking water.
- The plant distills crude oil into different fuels.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- They distilled water for the experiment.
- The lab distills chemicals to make them pure.
Verbo
formal
C1
action
4
derive a lesson or feeling
To get a clear lesson or idea from many events or details.
Patrón de uso:
distill [something] from [something]
Error frecuente:
This meaning often appears with 'from' (distill X from Y), not just 'distill X'.
Sinónimos
derive (More neutral and general; less imagery of concentrating.)
|
extract (Emphasizes taking something out; can sound more forceful.)
Antónimos
miss (Fails to notice or obtain the lesson or meaning.)
Colocaciones
distill lessons from
|distill meaning from
|distill principles from
|distill patterns from
|distill conclusions from
|distill insights from
|distill themes from
|distill value from
|distill knowledge from
|distill guidance from
Temas
education
|thinking
|business
Ejemplos
- It’s hard to distill a clear lesson from such a mixed outcome.
- She distilled a few practical principles from years of trial and error.
- The book distills insights from hundreds of interviews.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- We distilled one lesson from the project.
- He distilled ideas from his experience.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
distill
AFI
GB/dɪstˈɪl/
US/dɪstˈɪl/
Sílabas y acento
dis - till (2 sílabas)
Stress on 2nd syllable (till)
Formas de la palabra
Verb
- Base: distill
- 3rd Person Singular: distills, distils
- Present Participle: distilling
- Past: distilled
- Past Participle: distilled
Familia de palabras
Forms
distills
verb
distils
verb
distilling
verb
distilled
verb
Core family
distillation
noun C1
distiller
noun
Related words
distillery
noun
Advanced or less common
distillate
noun
Expresiones
distill [something] from [something]
1/dɪstˈɪl sˈʌmθɪŋ fɹˈʌm sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
formal
draw out a key idea
To get an important idea from many details.
Ejemplos
- It’s difficult to distill a clear trend from such noisy data.
- She distilled several themes from the interviews.
- We tried to distill practical advice from the case studies.
distill [something] into [something]
1/dɪstˈɪl sˈʌmθɪŋ ˈɪntu sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
compress into a short form
To change something long into a short, clear version.
Ejemplos
- She distilled the meeting notes into a one-page summary.
- The coach distilled years of experience into three simple habits.
- Try to distill your story into a single paragraph.
distill down (to)
1/dɪstˈɪl dˈaʊn tə/
phrasal verb
reduce to essentials
To make something simpler by keeping only the most important parts.
Ejemplos
- If you distill it down, the problem is really about trust.
- We need to distill down the options to three realistic choices.
- His advice can be distilled down to one rule: listen first.
distill out
1/dɪstˈɪl ˈaʊt/
phrasal verb
technical
separate out by distillation
To separate one substance from a mixture using heat and cooling.
Ejemplos
- The chemist distilled out the solvent from the reaction mixture.
- Water can be distilled out of the mixture and collected separately.
- They distilled out impurities before the final analysis.
distilled spirits
1/dɪstˈɪld spˈɪɹɪts/
fixed phrase
strong alcoholic drinks
Strong alcohol made by distilling, like vodka or whiskey.
Ejemplos
- The distillery produces several types of distilled spirits.
- Taxes on distilled spirits vary by state.
- The recipe calls for a small amount of distilled spirits.
distilled water
1/dɪstˈɪld wˈɔtɚ/
fixed phrase
purified water made by distillation
Very pure water made by heating and cooling it.
Ejemplos
- The iron works best if you fill it with distilled water.
- We used distilled water to make the solution.
- Some car batteries require distilled water.