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dis·til·la·tion

(dis′tə-lāshən)

1. The evaporation and subsequent collection of a liquid by condensation as a means of purification:the distillation of water.

2. The extraction of the volatile components of a mixture by the condensation and collection of the vapors that are produced as the mixture is heated:petroleum distillation.

3. A distillate.

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distillation

simple distillation of water

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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