distillation
(dɪstɪˈleɪʃən)
Also 6–8 destillation.
[ad. L. dē-, distillātiōn-em, n. of action f. dē-, distillāre to distil; cf. F. distillation (15th c. in Hatz.-Darm.).]
The action of distilling or fact of being distilled.
1. The action of falling or flowing down drop by drop; gentle dropping or falling. (lit. and fig.)
| 14.. in Pol. Rel. & L. Poems (1866) 112 My blode alle split by distillacion. 1623 Cockeram, Distillation, a dropping. 1694 F. Bragge Disc. Parables i. 4 This seed thus sown, is water'd with the dews of heaven, with the distillations of the Divine grace and blessing. 1833 Chalmers Const. Man (1835) I. iv. 181 Cause distillation within the soul of the waters of bitterness. |
† 2. Path. A defluxion of rheum; a catarrh. Obs.
| 1533 Elyot Cast. Helthe (1541) 78 a, Destyllation is a droppynge downe of a lyquyde mater out of the head, and fallynge eyther in to the mouth, or in to the nosethrilles, or in to the eyes. 1589 Cogan Haven Health ccxii. (1636) 217 Distillations from the head, commonly called rheumes. 1607 Topsell Four-f. Beasts (1658) 270 The Horse..is subject unto the distillation in his throat or parts thereabout. 1748 tr. Vegetius' Distemp. Horses 183 If the neck suffers by a Destillation or Defluxion of Humours. a 1755 G. West Triumphs Gout (Seager), Through th' obstructed pores the struggling vapour and bitter distillation force their way. |
3. The action of converting any substance or constituent of a substance into vapour by means of heat, and of again condensing this by refrigeration into the liquid form, by means of an alembic, retort and receiver, or a still and refrigeratory; the extraction of the spirit, essence, or essential oil of any substance by the evaporation and condensation of its liquid solution; and, in a more generalized sense, the operation of separating by means of fire, and in closed vessels, the volatile parts of any substance from the fixed parts, in order to the collection of the products.
As shown by the etymology, the original application is to substances of which the distillates are condensed drop by drop into the liquid form; whether for the purpose of extracting the more volatile part of a substance, or of concentrating or purifying a volatile substance such as water by freeing it from matter held in suspension or solution. When no more heat is applied than just suffices to cause the liquid to pass over in drops, the process is called cold distillation. Dry distillation or destructive distillation, the decomposition of a substance by strong heat in a retort, and the collection of the volatile matters evolved, as in the destructive distillation of coal in gas-making. fractional distillation, the separation of two or more volatile liquids having different boiling-points, so that they pass over at different temperatures and can be collected separately, the more volatile first, and the less volatile in order afterwards. distillation by descent (per descensum), in Old Chem., the name given to a method in which the fire was applied above, and the distillate drawn off beneath (see descent 1 d). In opposition to this, the ordinary method was called distillation by ascent (per ascensum).
| 1393 Gower Conf. II. 86 First of the distillation Forth with the congelation, Solucion, discention. 1527 Andrew Brunswyke's Distyll. Waters Prol., I have chosen..the booke of distyllacyon of waters. 1559 Morwyng Evonym. 1 Destillation, not distillation (as lerned doe write) is the drawing forthe of a thinner and purer humor out of a juise. 1626 Bacon Sylva §99 The power of Heat is best perceived in Distillations, which are performed in close Vessels and Receptacles. 1673 Ray Journ. Low C. 66 The Chymical examination of these Waters by..Destillation. 1774 Goldsm. Nat. Hist. (1776) I. 169 How far..it [water] may be brought to a state of purity by distillation, is unknown. 1802 Playfair Illustr. Hutton. Th. 34 The products obtained by the distillation of the common bituminous coal. 1806 Gazetteer Scotl. (ed. 2) 73 A considerable trade in the distillation of whisky. 1846 McCulloch Acc. Brit. Empire (1854) I. 387 This is one of the counties in which illicit distillation was most prevalent. 1869 Roscoe Elem. Chem. 47 All fresh water on the earth's surface has been derived from the ocean by a vast process of distillation. 1875 Ure's Dict. Arts (ed. 7) II. 48 Distillation consists in the conversion of any substance into vapour, in a vessel so arranged that the vapours are condensed again and collected in a vessel apart. |
| 1683 Robinson in Ray's Corr. (1848) 137 Pitch is got from the Pinus by a kind of distillation per descensum. 1727–51 Chambers Cycl. s.v., Distillation is twofold: 1°, Per ascensum, by ascent..2°, Per descensum, by descent; when the matter which is to be distilled is below the fire. 1831 T. P. Jones Convers. Chem. xxviii. 281 When organized substances are decomposed at a red heat in close vessels, the process is called destructive distillation. 1869 Roscoe Elem. Chem. 317 It occurs in the dry distillation of wood, forming about one per cent. of the aqueous distillate. 1875 Ure's Dict. Arts (ed. 7) II. 48 In most cases of destructive distillation the bodies operated upon are solid, and the products liquid or gaseous; it is then called dry distillation. 1895 Times 19 Jan. 4/5 Our coal-gas..up to the present time..obtained by destructive distillation of coal, hydrocarbon oils, or other organic substances. |
b. transf. and fig.
| 1835 Arnold Let. in Stanley Life & Corr. (1844) I. vii. 425 The books of Livy..relate to a time so uninteresting, that it is hard even to extract a value from them by the most complete distillation. 1837 Emerson Nat., Amer. Schol. Wks. (Bohn) II. 177 In proportion to the completeness of the distillation, so will the purity and imperishableness of the product be. 1894 J. Rodway Guiana Forest iv. 76 Intermittent distillation [of perfume] is almost general in the white flowers of the tropics. |
4. concr. The product of distilling: a. That which distils or forms by distilling (see sense 1). b. A distillate (obs.).
| 1598 Shakes. Merry W. iii. v. 115 And then to be stopt in like a strong distillation with stinking Cloathes. c 1600 ― Sonn. v. Were not summers distillation left A liquid prisoner pent in walls of glasse. 1616 R. C. Times' Whistle i. 57 The sunnes kinde heat, heavens fruitful distillation. 1678 R. R[ussell] Geber ii. i. iv. xiii. 119 Under that end of the Filter must be set another Vessel to receive the Distillation. 1746 Harvey Rep. Flower Garden (1818) 88 What a sovereign restorative are these cooling distillations of the night. |
c. fig. The extract, abstract; the refined or concentrated essence.
| 1649 Milton Eikon. i. (1847) 280/1 Among..all those numberless volumes of their theological distillations. 1846 Grote Greece i. xvi. (1862) I. 334 The narrative of Thucydides is a mere extract and distillation from their incredibilities. 1868 Milman St. Paul's ix. 228 That liturgy..the distillation, as it were, and concentration, of all the orisons which have been uttered in the name of Christ. |