reduce
/ɹɪˈd(j)us/ verb B1- To bring down the size, quantity, quality, value or intensity of something; to diminish, to lower. · to reduce weight, speed, heat, expenses, price, personnel etc.
- To lose weight.
- To bring to an inferior rank; to degrade, to demote. · to reduce a sergeant to the ranks
- To humble; to conquer; to subdue; to capture. · to reduce a province or a fort
- To bring to an inferior state or condition. · to reduce a city to ashes
- To be forced by circumstances (into something one considers unworthy). · reduced to silence
- To decrease the liquid content of (a food) by boiling much of its water off.
- To add electrons / hydrogen or to remove oxygen. · Formaldehyde can be reduced to form methanol.
He/she/it reduces · Past reduced · Past participle reduced · -ing form reducing
Verb forms
- Base form
- reduce
- He/she/it
- reduces
- Past
- reduced
- Past participle
- reduced
- -ing form
- reducing
From the library
The Ass, seeing him drawing a dungcart, thus derided him: “Where, O boaster, are now all thy gay trappings, thou who are thyself reduced to the condition you so lately treated with contempt?”
“Write that down,” the King said to the jury, and the jury eagerly wrote down all three dates on their slates, and then added them up, and reduced the answer to shillings and pence.
“The lady who keeps it is a reduced gentlewoman,” explained Miss Barry.
These different sciences that you have made so easy to me by the depth of the knowledge you possess of them, and the clearness of the principles to which you have reduced them—this is my treasure, my beloved friend, and with this you have made me rich and happy.
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