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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.merriam-webster.com · dictionary · reduceReduce Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

   www.merriam-webster.com · dictionary · reduce

   

   Learn the meaning, synonyms, examples, and history of the verb reduce, which means to make smaller, lower, or diminish something. See also related phrases and entries for reduce.

3. 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

   See all results for this question

   What does it mean to reduce a size?

   • [transitive, intransitive] to make something less or smaller in size, quantity, price, etc.; to become less or smaller in size, quantity, etc. reduce something Reduce speed now (= on a sign). Giving up smoking reduces the risk of heart disease. They will require car makers to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide by 30%.

   reduce verb - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes

   www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/us/definition/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 it mean if a liquid is reduced?

   • If something is changed to a different or less complicated form, you can say that it is reduced to that form. If you reduce liquid when you are cooking, or if it reduces, it is boiled in order to make it less in quantity and thicker. Boil the liquid in a small saucepan to reduce it by half. [VERB noun] Simmer until mixture reduces.

   REDUCE definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

   www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/reduce

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4. dictionary.cambridge.org · dictionary · englishREDUCE | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org · dictionary · english

   

   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.

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

   dictionary.cambridge.org · english · reduce

   

   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.dictionary.com · browse · reduceREDUCE Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

   www.dictionary.com · browse · reduce

   

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

8. www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com · us · definitionreduce verb - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage ...

   www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com · us · definition

   

   Learn the meaning, pronunciation and examples of the verb reduce, which means to make something less or smaller in size, quantity, price, etc. Find out how to use reduce in different contexts, such as boiling, chemistry, money and weight loss.

9. 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.

10. www.collinsdictionary.com · dictionary · englishREDUCE definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

    www.collinsdictionary.com · dictionary · english

    

    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.