distillation: Meaning and Definition of

dis•til•la•tion

1. the volatilization or evaporation and subsequent condensation of a liquid, as when water is boiled in a retort and the steam is condensed in a cool receiver.
2. the purification or concentration of a substance, the obtaining of the essence or volatile properties contained in it, or the separation of one substance from another, by such a process.
3. a product of distilling; distillate.
4. the act or fact of distilling or the state of being distilled.