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reduce
(redirected from be reduced)

   Also found in: Medical, Legal, Encyclopedia 0.01 sec.
re·duce  (r-ds, -dys)
v. re·duced, re·duc·ing, re·duc·es
v.tr.
1. To bring down, as in extent, amount, or degree; diminish. See Synonyms at decrease.
2. To bring to a humbler, weaker, difficult, or forced state or condition; especially:
a. To gain control of; conquer: "a design to reduce them under absolute despotism" (Declaration of Independence).
b. To subject to destruction: Enemy bombers reduced the city to rubble.
c. To weaken bodily: was reduced almost to emaciation.
d. To sap the spirit or mental energy of.
e. To compel to desperate acts: The Depression reduced many to begging on street corners.
f. To lower in rank or grade. See Synonyms at demote.
g. To powder or pulverize.
h. To thin (paint) with a solvent.
3. To lower the price of: The store has drastically reduced winter coats.
4. To put in order or arrange systematically.
5. To separate into orderly components by analysis.
6. Chemistry
a. To decrease the valence of (an atom) by adding electrons.
b. To remove oxygen from (a compound).
c. To add hydrogen to (a compound).
d. To change to a metallic state by removing nonmetallic constituents; smelt.
7. Mathematics To simplify the form of (an expression, such as a fraction) without changing the value.
8. Medicine To restore (a fractured or displaced body part) to a normal condition or position.
v.intr.
1. To become diminished.
2. To lose weight, as by dieting.
3. Biology To undergo meiosis.

[Middle English reducen, to bring back, from Old French reducier, from Latin redcere : re-, re- + dcere, to lead; see deuk- in Indo-European roots.]

re·ducer n.
re·duci·bili·ty n.
re·duci·ble adj.
re·duci·bly adv.

reduce [rɪˈdjuːs]
vb (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. to impoverish (esp in the phrase in reduced circumstances)
5. to bring into a state of submission to one's authority; subjugate the whole country was reduced after three months
6. (Business / Commerce) to bring down the price of (a commodity) the shirt was reduced in the sale
7. to lower the rank or status of; demote he was reduced from corporal to private reduced to the ranks
8. to set out systematically as an aid to understanding; simplify his theories have been reduced in a popular treatise
9. (Mathematics) Maths to modify or simplify the form of (an expression or equation), esp by substitution of one term by another
10. (Cookery) Cookery to make (a sauce, stock, etc.) more concentrated by boiling away some of the water in it
11. to thin out (paint) by adding oil, turpentine, etc.; dilute
12. (Chemistry) (also intr) Chem
a.  to undergo or cause to undergo a chemical reaction with hydrogen or formation of a hydride
b.  to lose or cause to lose oxygen atoms
c.  to undergo or cause to undergo an increase in the number of electrons Compare oxidize
13. (Miscellaneous Technologies / Photography) Photog to lessen the density of (a negative or print) by converting some of the blackened silver in the emulsion to soluble silver compounds by an oxidation process using a photographic reducer
14. (Medicine / Surgery) Surgery to manipulate or reposition (a broken or displaced bone, organ, or part) back to its normal site
15. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Biology) (also intr) Biology to undergo or cause to undergo meiosis
[from Latin redūcere to bring back, from re- + dūcere to lead]
reducible  adj
reducibility  n
reducibly  adv

reduce


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