decoction

views updated May 11 2018

de·coc·tion / diˈkäkshən/ • n. the liquor resulting from concentrating the essence of a substance by heating or boiling, esp. a medicinal preparation made from a plant: a decoction of a root. ∎  the action or process of extracting the essence of something.

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

decoction

views updated May 21 2018

decoction liquor in which a substance has been boiled. XIV. — (O)F. décoction or late L. dēcoctiō, -ōn-, f. pp. stem of dēcoquere boil down, f. DE- 3 + coquere COOK; see -TION.
Hence decoct †pp. adj. and vb. XV.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology T. F. HOAD

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