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1. Dictionary

   Re·duce

   /rəˈdo͞os/

   

   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 125 pounds"
   • ▪ make (a negative or print) less dense.
   • ▪ articulate (a speech sound) in a way requiring less muscular effort. In vowels, this gives rise to a more central articulatory position.
   • 2. bring someone or something to (a lower or weaker state, condition, or role): "she has been reduced to near poverty" Similar bring tobring to the point offorce intodrive into
   • ▪ (of a person) be forced by difficult circumstances into doing something desperate: "ordinary soldiers are reduced to begging"
   • ▪ make someone helpless with (an expression of emotion, especially with hurt, shock, or amusement): "Olga was reduced to stunned silence"
   • ▪ force someone into (obedience or submission): "he succeeds in reducing 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 by one atom from another: "this compound reduces to potassium chloride"
   • 5. restore (a dislocated part) 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. www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › american_english › reducereduce verb - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage ...

   www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › american_english › reduce

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   1 [transitive] to make something less or smaller in size, quantity, price, etc. reduce something Reduce speed now (= on a sign). Giving up smoking reduces the risk of heart disease. reduce something by something Costs have been reduced by 20% over the past year. reduce something (from something) (to something) The number of employees was ...

3. www.collinsdictionary.com › us › dictionaryREDUCE definition in American English | Collins English ...

   www.collinsdictionary.com › us › dictionary

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   5 days ago · verb (mainly tr) 1. (also intr) to make or become smaller in size, number, extent, degree, intensity, etc. 2. to bring into a certain state, condition, etc. to reduce a forest to ashes. to reduce someone to despair. 3. (also intr) to make or become slimmer; lose or cause to lose excess weight.

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

   www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › reduced

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   The meaning of REDUCE is to draw together or cause to converge : consolidate. How to use reduce in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of Reduce.

5. dictionary.cambridge.org › us › dictionaryREDUCING | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › us › dictionary

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   verb [ I or T ] uk / rɪˈdʒuːs / us / rɪˈduːs / B1. to become or to make something become smaller in size, amount, degree, importance, etc.: Do nuclear weapons really reduce the risk of war? The plane reduced speed as it approached the airport. My weight reduces when I stop eating sugar.

6. www.betterwordsonline.com › dictionary › reduceReduce - Definition, Meaning, Synonyms, Etymology

   www.betterwordsonline.com › dictionary › reduce

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   Dictionary definition of reduce. To make something smaller, decrease in size, quantity, or intensity. "She decided to reduce her sugar intake for better health." Detailed meaning of reduce. It involves diminishing or minimizing the amount, extent, or impact of something.

7. www.wordsmyth.netreduce | Dictionaries and vocabulary tools for English ...

   www.wordsmyth.net

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   The meaning of reduce. Definition of reduce. English dictionary and integrated thesaurus for learners, writers, teachers, and students with advanced, intermediate, and beginner levels.

8. www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › english › reductionreduction noun - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and ...

   www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › english › reduction

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   [uncountable, countable] (chemistry) the fact of adding one or more electrons to a substance or of removing oxygen from a substance compare oxidation. a sauce made by boiling a liquid until it becomes thick. a red wine reduction. a reduction of chicken stock, wine and cream. Word Origin.