decoction

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a medicinal or herbal liquid made by boiling plant material in water

   The herbalist prepared a decoction of bark and roots to use as a traditional remedy.

2. 2
   noun

   the process of extracting soluble substances by boiling them

   Long decoction can destroy some of the plant's heat-sensitive compounds.

From Old French decoccion, from Latin decoctio ("a boiling down"), based on decoquere ("to boil down"), from de- ("down, away") + coquere ("to cook"). The medical noun names both the boiling process and the liquid it produces.

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