First Known Use: circa 1555
Dictionary
1dilute
verb di·lute \dī-ˈlüt, də-\
: to make (a liquid) thinner or less strong by adding water or another liquid
: to lessen the strength of (something)
di·lut·eddi·lut·ing
Full Definition of DILUTE
transitive verb
1
2
: to make thinner or more liquid by admixture <diluted wine>
3
: to diminish the strength, flavor, or brilliance of by admixture <dilute a color>
4
: to decrease the per share value of (common stock) by increasing the total number of shares
— di·lut·er or di·lu·tor \-ˈlü-tər\ noun
— di·lu·tive \-ˈlü-tiv\ adjective
See dilute defined for English-language learners
See dilute defined for kids
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Origin of DILUTE
Latin dilutus, past participle of diluere to wash away, dilute, from di- + lavere to wash — more at lye
Related to DILUTE
- Synonyms
- cut, adulterate, extend, lace, sophisticate, thin, water down, weaken
- Antonyms
- enrich, fortify, richen, strengthen
Other Chemical Engineering Terms
Rhymes with DILUTE
acute, astute, Asyût, bear fruit, beetroot, Beirut, birthroot, bloodroot, breadfruit, butut, cahoot, Canute, catsuit, cheroot, choucroute, clubroot, commute, compute, confute, crapshoot, cube root, deaf-mute, depute, dispute, dry suit, elute, en route, enroot, flight suit, folkmoot, freeboot, galoot, grapefruit, G suit, hardboot, hip boot, hirsute, imbrute, impute, jackboot, jackfruit, jumpsuit, kashruth, lawsuit, long suit, lounge suit, minute, nonsuit, offshoot, outshoot, Paiute, pantsuit, permute, playsuit, pollute, pursuit, recruit, refute, repute, salute, sans doute, seaboot, snowsuit, solute, square root, star fruit, star route, statute, strong suit, sunsuit, sweat suit, swimsuit, take root, taproot, to boot, tracksuit, trade route, transmute, tribute, uproot, volute, wet suit, zoot suit
2dilute
adjective
: reduced in strength as a result of containing an added liquid
Full Definition of DILUTE
See dilute defined for English-language learners
First Known Use of DILUTE
1605
Related to DILUTE
DILUTED Defined for Kids
dilute
verb di·lute \dī-ˈlüt, də-\
di·lut·eddi·lut·ing
Definition of DILUTE for Kids
: to make thinner or more liquid by adding something <Mom diluted the punch with water.>
Learn More About DILUTE
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