distil

Meanings

1. To exude (a liquid) in small drops; also, to give off (a vapour) which condenses in small drops.
2. To impart (information, etc.) in small quantities; to infuse.
3. To heat (a substance, usually a liquid) so that a vapour is produced, and then to cool the vapour so that it condenses back into a liquid, either to purify the original substance or to obtain one of its components; to subject to distillation.
4. Followed by off or out: to expel (a volatile substance) from something by distillation.
5. To extract the essence of (something) by, or as if by, distillation; to concentrate, to purify.
6. To transform a thing (into something else) by distillation.
7. To make (something, especially spirits such as gin and whisky) by distillation.
8. To transform a complex large language model into a smaller one.
9. To dissolve or melt (something).
10. To fall or trickle down in small drops; to exude, to ooze out; also, to come out as a vapour which condenses in small drops.
11. To flow or pass gently or slowly; hence (figuratively) to be manifested gently or gradually.
12. To drip or be wet with some liquid.

Etymology

PIE word *de From Late Middle English distillen (“to fall, flow, or shed in drops, drop, trickle; to shed drops; to fill (the eyes) with tears; (alchemy, medicine) to subject (something) to distillation; to obtain (something) using distillation; to distil; to condense or vaporize; (figuratively) to give (good fortune) to; to say (slanderous words)”) [and other forms], from Old French distiller (modern French distiller (“to distil”)), and from its etymon Latin distīllāre, a variant of Latin dēstīllāre, the present active infinitive of dēstīllō (“to drip or trickle down; to distil”), from dē- (prefix meaning ‘down, down from, down to’) + stīllō (“to drip, drop, trickle; to distil”) (from stīlla (“drop of liquid; (figuratively) small quantity”), probably a diminutive of stīria (“ice drop; icicle”)). Cognates * French distiller (“to distil”) * Italian distillare (“to distil”) * Occitan distillar * Portuguese destilar (“to distil; to drip”) * Spanish destilar (“to distil; to exude; to filter”)