decoct

/di'kɔkt/

Thân thiện

The chef decocts the herbs to create a concentrated broth.

Definition

1. Verb:
   • To extract the essence or active principles of a substance by boiling it in water: This is the primary meaning, referring specifically to a method of preparation, especially in herbal medicine or cooking, where material is simmered in water to dissolve its soluble components.
   • To make a concentrated liquid by boiling something down: This meaning focuses on the process of boiling a liquid to reduce its volume and intensify its flavor or properties.

Usage and Examples

• Verb:
  • To prepare the herbal remedy, you must decoct the roots for at least twenty minutes. (This demonstrates the process of boiling plant material to extract its medicinal compounds.)
  • The chef decocted the bones to create a rich, flavorful stock. (This shows the culinary application of boiling down to concentrate essence.)
  • The liquid was decocted until only a thick syrup remained. (This illustrates the result of the boiling-down process.)

Advanced Usage and Notes

• Technical/Formal Context: The term "decoct" is highly specific and is used primarily in technical, formal, or literary contexts, such as pharmacology, herbalism, or gourmet cooking. It is not common in everyday conversation.
• Process vs. Result: The word can describe both the action of boiling to extract () and the state of being concentrated through boiling ().

Variants and Related Words

• Decoction (n): The liquid product resulting from decocting.
  • She drank a bitter decoction of willow bark.
• Infuse (v): A related but distinct process where plant material is steeped in hot (but not necessarily boiling) water to extract flavors or compounds, typically for a shorter time.

Synonyms

• Extract (to obtain a substance from a material)
• Concentrate (to make a substance stronger by reducing its volume)
• Boil down (to reduce the volume of a liquid by boiling)
• Simmer (to cook in liquid just below boiling point, often part of the decoction process)

Antonyms

• Dilute (to make a liquid thinner or weaker by adding water)
• Reconstitute (to restore a dried or concentrated substance by adding water)

Phrases and Collocations

• To decoct a remedy: To prepare a medicine by boiling.
• A decocted preparation: A substance that has been prepared by decoction.

Học thuật

Verb

1. steep in hot water
2. be cooked until very little liquid is left
   • The sauce should reduce to one cup
3. extract the essence of something by boiling it

Từ đồng nghĩa

• boil down
• reduce
• concentrate