1. Change or cause to change directly from a solid into a vapour without first melting
   "sublimate iodine";
   - sublime
    
2. Vaporize and then condense right back again
   "The chemist sublimated the compound to purify it";
   - sublime
    
3. (chemistry) remove impurities from, increase the concentration of, and separate through the process of distillation
   "They sublimated the compound to obtain pure crystals";
   - purify, distill [N. Amer], distil [Brit]
    
4. Direct energy or urges into useful activities
   "He sublimated his aggressive tendencies into competitive sports"
    
5. Make more subtle or refined
   "The philosopher sublimated the concept to its essence";
   - rarefy, subtilize, rarify [rare], subtilise [Brit]

1. Made pure
   "The sublimate essence of the flower was used in the perfume"

1. The product of vaporization of a solid
   "The chemist collected the sublimate for further analysis"

Derived forms: sublimated, sublimates, sublimating

See also: pure

Type of: aerify, airt [archaic], alter, ameliorate, amend, better, change, gas, gasify, improve, meliorate, mend, modify, redirect, vaporise [Brit], vaporize

Encyclopedia: Sublimate