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   reduce

   /rɪˈdjuːs/

   verb

   • 1. make smaller or less in amount, degree, or size: "the need for businesses to reduce costs" Similar lessenmake lessmake smallerlowerbring downdecreaseturn downdiminishtake the edge offminimizeshrinknarrowcontractshortenforeshortentruncatetapercloseabbreviatecondenseconcentrateabridgedepleteaxecutcut back/downmake cutbacks inscale downtrimslim (down)prunechopcurtaillimitmoderatelighteneasedilutemitigatecommutequalifyalleviaterelaxabateamortizemake cheaperlower the price oflower/cut in pricecheapencutmark downdiscountput on saleoffer at a giveaway priceinformal:slashknock downOpposite increaseenlargeput up
   • ▪ become smaller or less in size, amount, or degree: "the number of priority homeless cases has reduced slightly"
   • ▪ boil (a sauce or other liquid) in cooking so that it becomes thicker and more concentrated: "increase the heat and reduce the liquid"
   • ▪ (of a person) lose weight, typically by dieting: North American "by May she had reduced to 9 stone"
   • ▪ make (a negative or print) less dense.
   • ▪ articulate (a speech sound) in a way requiring less muscular effort, giving rise in vowels to a more central articulatory position.
   • 2. bring someone or something to (a worse or less desirable state or condition): "she has been reduced to near poverty" Similar bring tobring to the point offorce intodrive into
   • ▪ be forced by difficult circumstances into doing something desperate: "ordinary soldiers are reduced to begging"
   • ▪ make someone helpless with (shock, anguish, or amusement): "Olga was reduced to stunned silence"
   • ▪ force someone into (obedience or submission): "he reduced his grandees to due obedience" Similar bring tobring to the point offorce intodrive into
   • 3. change a substance to (a different or more basic form): "it is difficult to understand how lava could have been reduced to dust"
   • ▪ present a problem or subject in (a simplified form): "he reduces unimaginable statistics to manageable proportions"
   • ▪ convert a fraction to (the form with the lowest terms).
   • 4. cause to combine chemically with hydrogen: "hydrogen for reducing the carbon dioxide"
   • ▪ undergo or cause to undergo a reaction in which electrons are gained from another substance or molecule: "this compound reduces to potassium chloride"
   • 5. restore (a dislocated part of the body) to its proper position by manipulation or surgery: "Joe's reducing a dislocated thumb"
   • 6. besiege and capture (a town or fortress). archaic

   Word Origin late Middle English: from Latin reducere, from re- ‘back, again’ + ducere ‘bring, lead’. The original sense was ‘bring back’ (hence ‘restore’, now surviving in reduce (sense 5)); this led to ‘bring to a different state’, then ‘bring to a simpler or lower state’ (hence reduce (sense 3)); and finally ‘diminish in size or amount’ (reduce (sense 1), dating from the late 18th century).

   Derivatives

   • 1. reducer noun

   Scrabble Points: 9

   • R

     1

   • E

     1

   • D

     2

   • U

     1

   • C

     3

   • E

     1

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2. People also ask

   What does reduce mean?

   • Get a quick, free translation! REDUCE definition: 1. to become or to make something become smaller in size, amount, degree, importance, etc.: 2. to…. Learn more.

   REDUCE | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/reduce

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   Where did the word reduce come from?

   • From the Latin re, which meant "back," coupled with ducere, meaning "bring or lead" — we ended up with reduce. The current meaning, "to lessen," appeared in the late 1700's, drawn from the word's military use, "reduce to ranks," which meant break into smaller units.

   Reduce - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms | Vocabulary.com

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   What does reducing a state mean?

   • 2. to bring into a certain state, condition, etc: to reduce a forest to ashes; to reduce someone to despair. 5. to bring into a state of submission to one's authority; subjugate: the whole country was reduced after three months. 6. (Commerce) to bring down the price of (a commodity): the shirt was reduced in the sale.

   Reduce - definition of reduce by The Free Dictionary

   www.thefreedictionary.com/reduce

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   What does reduce mean in cooking?

   • The current meaning, "to lessen," appeared in the late 1700's, drawn from the word's military use, "reduce to ranks," which meant break into smaller units. Cooks use the word reduce when they reduce a liquid, boiling it down until it has less volume and is thicker. "Reduce."

   Reduce - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms | Vocabulary.com

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3. dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › englishREDUCE | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › english

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   Learn the meaning of reduce as a verb in English, with synonyms, antonyms, idioms, and phrasal verbs. See how to use reduce in different contexts, such as business, environment, and grammar.

   • English (US)

     to make something less in size, amount, degree, importance,...

   • Znaczenie Reduce, Definicja W Cambridge English Dictionary

     REDUCE definicja: 1. to become or to make something become...

   • Reduce: Arabic Translation

     REDUCE translate: يُخَفِّض / يُقَلِّل. Learn more in the...

   • Reduce Turkish Translation

     REDUCE translate: azaltmak, kısmak, indirmek, azaltmak,...

   • Reduce: French Translation

     REDUCE translate: réduire, réduire, maigrir, réduire (en/à)....

   • Reduce: Korean Translation

     REDUCE translate: 줄이다. Learn more in the Cambridge...

   • Reduce: Italian Translation

     reduce translate: ridurre, scontare, ridurre, dimagrire,...

   • Reduce: Thai Translation

     REDUCE translate: ทำให้เล็กลง, ลดน้ำหนักลง, บังคับ. Learn...

4. www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › reduceReduce Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

   www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › reduce

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   Learn the various meanings and uses of the verb reduce, such as to diminish, lower, convert, or break down. See synonyms, examples, word history, and related phrases of reduce.

5. www.dictionary.com › browse › reduceREDUCE Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

   www.dictionary.com › browse › reduce

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   Reduce definition: to bring down to a smaller extent, size, amount, number, etc.. See examples of REDUCE used in a sentence.

6. dictionary.cambridge.org › english › reduceREDUCE | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › english › reduce

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   Learn the meaning of reduce as a verb in English, with synonyms, antonyms, idioms, and phrasal verbs. See how to use reduce in different contexts, such as business, environment, and health.

7. www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › reduceReduce - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms | Vocabulary.com

   www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › reduce

   You reduce something when you lessen its volume, size, or degree. That's why we say when someone goes on a diet, it's because they want to reduce; it's a polite way of suggesting they need to drop pounds and become a smaller size.

8. www.thefreedictionary.com › reduceReduce - definition of reduce by The Free Dictionary

   www.thefreedictionary.com › reduce

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   Learn the meaning and usage of the verb reduce in various contexts, such as mathematics, chemistry, biology, and linguistics. Find synonyms, examples, and related terms for reduce.

9. www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › englishREDUCE definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

   www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › english

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   Learn the various meanings and uses of the verb reduce, such as making something smaller, simpler, or less intense. See examples, synonyms, pronunciation, and grammar tips.