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dis·till also dis·til (dĭ-stĭl)
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v. dis·tilled, dis·till·ing, dis·tills also dis·tilled or dis·til·ling or dis·tils
v.tr.
1. To subject (a substance) to distillation.
2. To separate (a distillate) by distillation.
3. To increase the concentration of, separate, or purify by or as if by distillation.
4. To separate or extract the essential elements of: distill the crucial points of the book.
5. To exude or give off (matter) in drops or small quantities.
v.intr.
1. To undergo or be produced by distillation.
2. To fall or exude in drops or small quantities.
[Middle English distillen, from Old French distiller, from Latin distillāre, variant of dēstillāre, to trickle : dē-, de- + stillāre, to drip (from stilla, drop).]
dis·tilla·ble adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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