Where does “distill” come from?
Distill comes from Middle English distillen, from Old French distiller, from Latin distillo and destillare, formed from the prefix de- meaning "down" and Proto-Indo-European ster- meaning "to spread or extend."
distill (English): To subject a substance to distillation; To...
Definitions
- To subject a substance to distillation; To...
Ancestry of “distill”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | distillen | — |
| 2 | Old French | distiller | — |
| 3 | Latin | distillare | present active infinitive of distīllō;... |
| 4 | Latin | stilla | a drop; a drop, small quantity |