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In addition to the usual, chemical definition, "distill" has other meanings, most notably linguistic, in terms of NON-chemical ones:

"verb (used with object)

1. to subject to a process of vaporization and subsequent condensation, as for purification or concentration. 2. to extract the volatile components of by distillation; transform by distillation. 3. to concentrate, purify, or obtain by or as by distillation: to distill whiskey from MASH. 4. to remove by distillation (usually fol. by off or out): to distill out impurities. 5. to extract the essential elements of; refine; abstract: She managed to distill her ideas into one succinct article. 6. to let fall in drops; give forth in or as in drops: The cool of the night distills the dew. -verb (used without object) 7. to undergo or perform distillation. 8. to become vaporized and then condensed in distillation. 9. to drop, pass, or condense as a distillate. 10. to fall in drops; trickle; exude. ---- [Origin: 1325-75; ME distillen (< AF distiller) < L distillāre, var. of déstillāre, equiv. to dé-de- + stillāre to drip]" (1)

1."distill." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 25 May. 2008. .

An example in linguistic terms would be: "Nabokov distilled the complicated ramifications of Humbert Humbert's obsession for Lolita into a single, powerful moment."

As for the more common, scientific meaning, it is worth noting that, in addition to alcohol, almost any liquid can be distilled, thus extracting the pure water from the rest of its components.

Even human or animal urine can be distilled for drinking water, which is now being discussed in many scientific circles as an extreme remedy for emergencies!

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17y ago

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