DILUTE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does dilute mean? 

• DILUTE (adjective)
  The adjective DILUTE has 1 sense:

1. reduced in strength or concentration or quality or purity

  Familiarity information: DILUTE used as an adjective is very rare.

• DILUTE (verb)
  The verb DILUTE has 2 senses:

1. lessen the strength or flavor of a solution or mixture

2. corrupt, debase, or make impure by adding a foreign or inferior substance; often by replacing valuable ingredients with inferior ones

  Familiarity information: DILUTE used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DILUTE (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Reduced in strength or concentration or quality or purity

Synonyms:

dilute; diluted

Context example:

dilute acetic acid

Similar:

cut; thinned; weakened (mixed with water)

washy; watery; weak (overly diluted; thin and insipid)

white ((of coffee) having cream or milk added)

• DILUTE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they dilute    ... he / she / it dilutes   
Past simple: diluted   
Past participle: diluted   
-ing form: diluting   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Lessen the strength or flavor of a solution or mixture

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

cut; dilute; reduce; thin; thin out

Context example:

cut bourbon

Hypernyms (to "dilute" is one way to...):

weaken (lessen the strength of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "dilute"):

water down (make less strong or intense)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

dilutant (a diluting agent)

dilution (weakening (reducing the concentration) by the addition of water or a thinner)

dilution (a diluted solution)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Corrupt, debase, or make impure by adding a foreign or inferior substance; often by replacing valuable ingredients with inferior ones

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

adulterate; debase; dilute; load; stretch

Context example:

adulterate liquor

Hypernyms (to "dilute" is one way to...):

corrupt; spoil (alter from the original)

Verb group:

extend; stretch (increase in quantity or bulk by adding a cheaper substance)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "dilute"):

water down (thin by adding water to)

doctor; doctor up; sophisticate (alter and make impure, as with the intention to deceive)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

dilution (weakening (reducing the concentration) by the addition of water or a thinner)

 Context examples 

A relative measurement (ratio or percentage) of the dilute Russell's viper venom time in a subject sample to a control sample.

(Dilute Russell's Viper Venom Time to Control Ratio Measurement, NCI Thesaurus/CDISC)

The determination of the ratio of the dilute Russell's viper venom time in a subject sample to a control sample.

(Dilute Russell's Viper Venom Time to Control Ratio Measurement, NCI Thesaurus)

A measurement of the time it takes a plasma sample to clot after adding dilute Russell's viper venom.

(Dilute Russell's Viper Venom Time Measurement, NCI Thesaurus)

Inflammation serves to destroy, dilute, or wall off both the injurious agent and the injured tissue.

(Inflammation, NCI Thesaurus)

Intravenously administered drug is diluted in the pooled venous blood and pumped through lungs before entering systematic circulation (lung first-pass effect).

(Intravenous infusion, NCI Thesaurus)

A dilute form of phosphoric acid is used to flavor soft drinks.

(Phosphoric acid, NCI Dictionary)

This causes the more concentrated solution to become diluted, and makes the concentrations in both solutions more equal.

(Osmosis, NCI Dictionary)

Fresh lachesis is diluted in alcohol to obtain the mother tincture.

(Lachesis Venom, NCI Thesaurus)

A concentrate which is usually diluted prior to administration and exists as a solution in its final form.

(Concentrated Solution Dosage Form, NCI Thesaurus)

A highly diluted solution of sodium hypochlorite (0.5% w/v) with topical anti-infective activity.

(Dakins Solution, NCI Thesaurus)