Read full poem →Upon this Primrose hill,
Where, if Heav'n would distil
A shower of rain, each several drop might go
Dictionary Entry
distil
Part of SpeechverbPronunciation[dɪˈstɪɫ]Word FrequencyUncommon (2.94)Curriculum FrequencyLess common (1)Used In Literature ↓To subject to distillation.
In a Sentence
“The writer managed to distil the complex historical events into a clear and concise summary.”
Published Usage Examples
“The dew of the Spirit, which God and God only, can give, can freshen our worn and drooping souls, can give joy in sorrow, can keep us from being touched by surrounding evils, and from being parched by surrounding drought, can silently 'distil' its supplies of strength according to our need into our else dry hearts.”
“"distil" 60% investment grade out of your "pool" (that's the good stuff), well add some CDS and run an algorithm and that could go up to 85%.”
This entry also appears in ReadingWillow Year 12 word lists, so students can move between the dictionary and year-level study sets.
Origin
From Latin 'distillare', meaning 'to drip or trickle down'.
Common Phrases
off distilover distil. distil
Poetry examples for “distil”
Excerpts from the ReadingWillow English Library collection.
Read full poem →On you I graft the grafts of the best-beloved of me and America,
The drops I distil upon you shall grow fierce and athletic girls, new artists, musicians,
and singers,
