1. (chemistry) remove impurities from, increase the concentration of, and separate through the process of distillation
   "distil the water";
   - purify, sublimate, distill [N. Amer]
    
2. (chemistry) undergo the process of distillation
   "The mixture distilled at 80 degrees Celsius";
   - distill [N. Amer]
    
3. Purify or isolate using distillation
   "distil the essence of this compound";
   - distill [N. Amer], extract
    
4. Extract the essential meaning or most important aspects of something
   "The author distilled years of research into a concise report"; "distil the contents of a book into a summary";
   - digest, condense, concentrate, distill [N. Amer]
    
5. Undergo condensation; change from a gaseous to a liquid state and fall in drops
   "Water vapour distilled on the cold window";
   - condense, distill [N. Amer]
    
6. Release or emit small liquid droplets
   "The doctor distiled a few drops of disinfectant onto the wound";
   - distill [N. Amer]

Derived forms: distilled, distils

Type of: abbreviate, abridge, ameliorate, amend, better, change, contract, create, cut, exudate, exude, flux, foreshorten, improve, liquefy, liquify, make, meliorate, mend, ooze, ooze out, reduce, shorten, transude