distil
UK[dɪˈstɪl]US[dɪˈstɪl]
v
To make a liquid pure by heating it until it becomes a gas and then cooling it until it becomes liquid again.
v
To get the essential meaning or ideas from thoughts, information, or experiences.
Morpheme Breakdown
dis
stil
dis
apart
stil
drop
Etymology
The word 'distil' originates from the Latin verb 'destillare', a compound of 'de-' (down) and 'stillare' (to drip). This literal sense of causing a substance to drip down through a process of vaporization and condensation formed the core technical meaning. Over centuries, this physical process became a powerful metaphor for the intellectual act of extracting the pure, concentrated essence from a complex mixture of information or experience. Thus, the journey from the concrete action of separating liquids drop by drop to the abstract concept of refining and concentrating ideas is a clear example of semantic evolution based on a shared logic of purification and extraction.
Analysis
Structure: dis (apart) + stil (drop)
The prefix 'dis-' is from Latin, meaning 'apart' or 'in different directions'. The root 'stil' is from the Latin verb 'stillare', meaning 'to drip' or 'to drop'.
Examples
The process is used to distil fresh water from seawater.
The report distils the key findings from years of research into a few clear recommendations.
Whisky is distilled from fermented grain mash.