distil

Verb

distil (third-person singular simple present distils, present participle distilling, simple past and past participle distilled)

1. (UK, transitive) To exude (a liquid) in small drops; also, to give off (a vapour) which condenses in small drops.
   • Firs distil resin.
   • [I]t [Silene] eaſeth the head-ach, if togither with oile of roſes it be diſtilled upon the head by way of embrochation.1601, C[aius] Plinius Secundus [i.e., Pliny the Elder], “[Book XXVII.] Of Stinking Horehound: Of Mille-graine, or Oke of Ierusalem: Of Brabyla, Bryon, Bupleuros, Catanance: Of Calla, Circæa, and...
2. (UK, broadly, figuratively, transitive) To impart (information, etc.) in small quantities; to infuse.
   • But of all other men our Solomon could leaſt be ignorant of this truth. Not only for that reaſon, becauſe God had filled his heart with a large meaſure of wiſdom beyond other men: but even for this reaſon alſo: that being born of wiſe and godly Parents, and born to a Kingdom too, […] he had this...1630 (date delivered), Robert Sanderson, “[Ad Populum.] The First Sermon. At the Assises at Lincoln in the Year 1630. at the Request of Sir Daniel Deligne Knight, then High-Sheriff of that County.”...
   • She felt the slackening frost distil
     Through her blood the last ooze dull and chill:
     Her lids were dry and her lips were still.1871 September (date written), Dante Gabriel Rossetti, “Rose Mary”, in Ballads and Sonnets, London: Ellis and White, […], published 1881, →OCLC, part III, stanza 3, page 49
3. (UK, transitive) To heat (a substance, usually a liquid) so that a vapour is produced, and then to cool the vapour so that it condenses back into a liquid, either to purify the original substance or to obtain one of its components; to subject to distillation.
   • Haue I not bene
     Thy Pupill long? Haſt thou not learn'd me how
     To make Perfumes? Diſtill? Preſerue?1611 April (first recorded performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Cymbeline”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard...
   • By putting the hydrate into a bent tube, afterwards hermetically sealed, I found it easy, after decomposing it by a heat of 100°, to distil the yellow fluid to one end of the tube, and so separate it from the remaining portion.1823 November 30, Michael Faraday, “LXXXVI. On Fluid Chlorine. […]”, in Alexander Tilloch, Richard Taylor, editors, The Philosophical Magazine and Journal: Comprehending the Various Branches of...
4. (UK, transitive) Followed by off or out: to expel (a volatile substance) from something by distillation.
5. (UK, also, figuratively, transitive) To extract the essence of (something) by, or as if by, distillation; to concentrate, to purify.
   • But earthlyer happy is the roſe diſtild,
     Then that, which, withering on the virgin thorne,
     Growes, liues, and dies, in ſingle bleſſedneſſe.c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, A Midsommer Nights Dreame. […] (First Quarto), London: […] [Richard Bradock] for Thomas Fisher, […], published 1600, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]
   • But flowers diſtil'd though they with winter meete,
     Leeſe but their ſhow, their ſubſtance ſtill liues ſweet.1609, William Shakespeare, “Sonnet 5”, in Shake-speares Sonnets. […], London: By G[eorge] Eld for T[homas] T[horpe] and are to be sold by William Aspley, →OCLC
6. (UK, also, figuratively, transitive) To transform a thing (into something else) by distillation.
   • Ile grow to your embraces, till two ſoules
     Diſtilled into kiſſes, through our lips
     Doe make one ſpirit of love.a. 1638 (date written), Benjamin Jonson [i.e., Ben Jonson], “The Sad Shepherd: Or, A Tale of Robin-Hood”, in The Workes of Benjamin Jonson. The Second Volume. […] (Second Folio), London: […] Richard...
7. (UK, also, figuratively, transitive) To make (something, especially spirits such as gin and whisky) by distillation.
   • There is ſome ſoule of goodneſſe in things euill,
     VVould men obſeruingly diſtill it out.1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount...
   • It is ſuppoſ'd
     He that meetes Hector, yſſues from our choice,
     And choice (being mutuall act of all our ſoules)
     Makes merit her election, and doth boyle,
     (As twere from forth vs all) a man diſtill'd
     Out of our vertues, […]c. 1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Famous Historie of Troylus and Cresseid. […] (First Quarto), London: […] G[eorge] Eld for R[ichard] Bonian and H[enry] Walley, […], published 1609...
8. (UK, also, figuratively, transitive, machine learning) To train a neural network on the outputs or behaviour of a more complex model in order to transfer selected knowledge and capabilities and create a smaller, more focused, or more efficient model.
   • “We are aware of and reviewing indications that DeepSeek may have inappropriately distilled our models, and will share information as we know more,” she said.2025 January 29, Cade Metz, quoting Liz Bourgeois, “OpenAI Says DeepSeek May Have Improperly Harvested Its Data”, in The New York Times, →ISSN
   • American A.I. companies, including Anthropic and OpenAI, have accused Chinese labs of “distilling” their systems by surreptitiously copying them, which has caught the attention of the Trump administration.2026 July 25, Mike Isaac, Kate Conger, Ana Swanson, Meaghan Tobin, “Silicon Valley Splits Over Closing the Borders to Chinese A.I.”, in The New York Times, →ISSN
9. (UK, obsolete, transitive) To dissolve or melt (something).
   • Swords by the Light'ning's ſubtile Force diſtill'd,
     And the cold Sheath with running Metal fill'd: […]1705, J[oseph] Addison, “Rome”, in Remarks on Several Parts of Italy, &c. in the Years 1701, 1702, 1703, London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 361
10. (UK, intransitive) To fall or trickle down in small drops; to exude, to ooze out; also, to come out as a vapour which condenses in small drops.
    • The Euphrates […] diſtilleth out of the mountains of Armenia.1614, Walter Ralegh [i.e., Walter Raleigh], “Of the Place of Paradise”, in The Historie of the World […], London: […] William Stansby for Walter Burre, […], →OCLC, 1st book, §. XV (A Conclusion by...
    • Let Myrrh inſtead of Thorn his Fences fill:
      And Show'rs of Hony from his Oaks diſtil.1697, Virgil, “The Third Pastoral. Or, Palæmon”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 15, lines...
11. (UK, intransitive) To flow or pass gently or slowly; hence (figuratively) to be manifested gently or gradually.
    • And al Iſrael haue tranſgreſſed thy law, and haue declined from hearing thy voice, and the malediction hath diſtilled vpon vs, & the deteſtation, which is written in the booke of Moyſes the ſeruant of God, becauſe we haue ſinned to him.1610, The Second Tome of the Holie Bible, […] (Douay–Rheims Bible), Doway: Laurence Kellam, […], →OCLC, Daniel 9:11, page 795
    • My doctrine ſhall drop as the raine: my ſpeach ſhall diſtill as the deaw, as the ſmal raine vpon the tender herbe, and as the ſhowres vpon the graſſe.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Deuteronomy 32:2, column 2
12. (UK, intransitive) To drip or be wet with some liquid.
    • So when two Boars, in wild Ytene bred,
      Or on VVeſtphalia’s fatt’ning Cheſt-nuts fed,
      […]
      In the black Flood they wallow o’er and o’er,
      ’Till their arm’d Jaws diſtill with Foam and Gore.[1716], [John] Gay, “Book III. Of Walking the Streets by Night.”, in Trivia: Or, The Art of Walking the Streets of London, London: […] Bernard Lintott, […], →OCLC, page 56
    • [B]efore ſome Mountain Lion's Ire
      The village Curs, and trembling Swains retire;
      VVhen o'er the ſlaughter'd Bull they hear him roar,
      And ſee his Jaws diſtil with ſmoaking Gore; […]1720, Homer, “Book XVII”, in Alexander Pope, transl., The Iliad of Homer, volume V, London: […] W[illiam] Bowyer, for Bernard Lintott […], →OCLC, page 6, lines 69–72
13. (UK, intransitive) To turn into a vapour and then condense back into a liquid; to undergo or be produced by distillation.
    • The outward Peace of the Church, Diſtilleth into Peace of Conſcience; […]1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Unity in Religion. III.”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC, page 13
    • Carbonic acid is a limpid colourless body, extremely fluid, and floating upon the other contents of the tube. It distills readily and rapidly at the difference of temperature between 32° and 0°.1823 November 30, Michael Faraday, “LXXXVI. On Fluid Chlorine. […]”, in Alexander Tilloch, Richard Taylor, editors, The Philosophical Magazine and Journal: Comprehending the Various Branches of...