Reduce

• POS: Verb (usu participle)
• HYPHEN: re=duce

CIDE DICTIONARY

Reduce, v. t. [L. reducere, reductum; pref. red-. re-, re- + ducere to lead. See Duke, and cf. Redoubt, n.].

•  To bring or lead back to any former place or condition.  [1913 Webster]

  "And to his brother's house reduced his wife."  [1913 Webster]

  "The sheep must of necessity be scattered, unless the great Shephered of souls oppose, or some of his delegates reduce and direct us."  [1913 Webster]
•  To bring to any inferior state, with respect to rank, size, quantity, quality, value, etc.; to diminish; to lower; to degrade; to impair; as, to reduce a sergeant to the ranks; to reduce a drawing; to reduce expenses; to reduce the intensity of heat.  Sir W. Scott.  [1913 Webster]

  "Nothing so excellent but a man may fasten upon something belonging to it, to reduce it."  [1913 Webster]

  "Having reduced
  Their foe to misery beneath their fears."  [1913 Webster]

  "Hester Prynne was shocked at the condition to which she found the clergyman reduced."  [1913 Webster]
•  To bring to terms; to humble; to conquer; to subdue; to capture; as, to reduce a province or a fort.  [1913 Webster]
•  To bring to a certain state or condition by grinding, pounding, kneading, rubbing, etc.; as, to reduce a substance to powder, or to a pasty mass; to reduce fruit, wood, or paper rags, to pulp.  [1913 Webster]

  "It were but right
  And equal to reduce me to my dust."  [1913 Webster]
•  To bring into a certain order, arrangement, classification, etc.; to bring under rules or within certain limits of descriptions and terms adapted to use in computation; as, to reduce animals or vegetables to a class or classes; to reduce a series of observations in astronomy; to reduce language to rules.  [1913 Webster]
•  To change, as numbers, from one denomination into another without altering their value, or from one denomination into others of the same value; as, to reduce pounds, shillings, and pence to pence, or to reduce pence to pounds; to reduce days and hours to minutes, or minutes to days and hours.  [1913 Webster]
•  To add an electron to an atom or ion.  [1913 Webster]
•  To restore to its proper place or condition, as a displaced organ or part; as, to reduce a dislocation, a fracture, or a hernia.  [1913 Webster]

Reduced iron (Chem.), metallic iron obtained through deoxidation of an oxide of iron by exposure to a current of hydrogen or other reducing agent. When hydrogen is used the product is called also iron by hydrogen. -- To reduce an equation (Alg.), to bring the unknown quantity by itself on one side, and all the known quantities on the other side, without destroying the equation. -- To reduce an expression (Alg.), to obtain an equivalent expression of simpler form. -- To reduce a square (Mil.), to reform the line or column from the square.

Syn. -- To diminish; lessen; decrease; abate; shorten; curtail; impair; lower; subject; subdue; subjugate; conquer.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Reduce, v.
1 tr. & intr. make or become smaller or less.
2 tr. (foll. by to) bring by force or necessity (to some undesirable state or action) (reduced them to tears; were reduced to begging).
3 tr. convert to another (esp. simpler) form (reduced it to a powder).
4 tr. convert (a fraction) to the form with the lowest terms.
5 tr. (foll. by to) bring or simplify or adapt by classification or analysis (the dispute may be reduced to three issues).
6 tr. make lower in status or rank.
7 tr. lower the price of.
8 intr. lessen one's weight or size.
9 tr. weaken (is in a very reduced state).
10 tr. impoverish.
11 tr. subdue; bring back to obedience.
12 Chem. intr. & tr. a combine or cause to combine with hydrogen. b undergo or cause to undergo addition of electrons.
13 tr. Chem. convert (oxide etc.) to metal.
14 tr. a (in surgery) restore (a dislocated etc. part) to its proper position. b remedy (a dislocation etc.) in this way.
15 tr. Photog. make (a negative or print) less dense.
16 tr. Cookery boil off excess liquid from.

Idiom

reduced circumstances poverty after relative prosperity. reduce to the ranks demote (an NCO) to the rank of private. reducing agent Chem. a substance that brings about reduction by oxidation and losing electrons.

Derivative

reducer n. reducible adj. reducibility n.

Etymology

ME in sense 'restore to original or proper position', f. L reducere reduct- (as RE-, ducere bring)

THESAURUS

Reduce

abase, abash, abate, abbreviate, abrade, abridge, abstract, acetify, acidify, acidulate, adjust, adjust to, adulterate, afflict, alkalify, alkalize, allay, alleviate, allow, alter, analyze, anatomize, anesthetize, appease, apportion, assay, assimilate to, assuage, attemper, attenuate, bank the fire, bankrupt, baptize, bate, bear down, beat down, become, beggar, belittle, bend, benumb, blunt, bob, boil down, borate, box in, break, break down, break up, bring down, bring low, bring to, bring to terms, bump, bust, capsulize, carbonate, catalyze, change, change into, change over, charge off, chasten, cheapen, chemical, chlorinate, circumscribe, clip, coarct, compact, compress, concentrate, condense, condition, conquer, consolidate, constrain, constrict, constringe, contract, control, convert, couch, count, count calories, cramp, cripple, crop, crush, curtail, cushion, cut, cut back, cut down, cut off short, cut prices, cut short, damp, dampen, de-emphasize, deaden, deaden the pain, debase, debilitate, decline, decrease, deduct, deflate, degrade, demean, demote, deplume, depreciate, depress, derange, derogate, detract, detrude, devaluate, devitalize, diet, dilute, diminish, disable, discount, disgrade, disorder, disparage, displume, dissect, distill, dive, divide, do over, dock, downbear, downgrade, downplay, drain, draw, draw in, draw together, drop, dull, dump, dump on, ease, ease matters, eat away, electrolyze, elide, enervate, enfeeble, epitomize, erode, eviscerate, exhaust, extenuate, extract, fall, fall in price, fell, ferment, file away, fix, flatten, foment, foreshorten, give relief, give way, grind, gruel, haul down, hedge, hedge about, homopolymerize, hospitalize, humble, humiliate, hydrate, hydrogenate, hydroxylate, impair, impoverish, increase, indent, indispose, invalid, irrigate, isomerize, jew down, keep within bounds, kick back, knit, knock down, lay, lay low, lay up, leach, leaven, lenify, lessen, let down, let up on, lighten, limit, lose flesh, lose weight, lower, lull, make, make allowance, make over, mark down, master, measure, minimize, mitigate, moderate, modify, modulate, mollify, mow, narrow, naturalize, nip, nitrate, nose-dive, numb, number, obtund, overmaster, override, oversimplify, overwhelm, oxidize, pad, palliate, parcel, pare, pauperize, pepsinate, peroxidize, phosphatize, play down, plummet, plunge, poll, pollard, polymerize, poultice, pour balm into, pour oil on, powder, press down, prostrate, prune, pucker, pucker up, pull down, pulp, purify, purse, push down, put down, qualify, quantify, quantize, quell, rarefy, rate, rattle, reap, rebate, recap, recapitulate, reconvert, reduce the temperature, reduce to, reduce to elements, reduce weight, refine, refund, regulate by, relieve, remove, render, reset, resolve, resolve into, restrain, restrict, retrench, reverse, ride down, roll back, rub, rub away, sag, salve, sap, scale down, season, segment, separate, set, set conditions, set down, set limits, shake, shake up, shave, shear, shift, shorten, sicken, simplify, sink, slacken, slake, slash, slenderize, slim, slim down, slow down, slump, smash, smother, snub, sober, sober down, soften, soften up, solidify, soothe, step down, stifle, strangle, strangulate, streamline, strip down, strip of rank, stunt, stupe, subdivide, subduct, subdue, subjugate, subtract, sulfate, sulfatize, sulfonate, sum up, summarize, suppress, switch, switch over, synopsize, take a premium, take away, take down, take from, take in, take off, take off weight, tame, telescope, temper, thin, thin down, thin out, thrust down, tone down, trample down, trample underfoot, transform, tread underfoot, trim, trip up, triturate, truncate, tune down, turn, turn back, turn into, tyrannize, unbrace, undermine, underplay, unman, unnerve, unstrengthen, unstring, vanquish, water, water down, weaken, wear away, weed, weight-watch, withdraw, work, wrinkle, write off

ROGET THESAURUS

Reduce

Decrease

VB decrease, diminish, lessen, abridge, shrink, drop off, fall off, tail off, fall away, waste, wear, wane, ebb, decline, descend, subside, melt away, die away, retire into the shade, hide its diminished head, fall to a low ebb, run low, languish, decay, crumble, bate, abate, dequantitate, discount, depreciate, extenuate, lower, weaken, attenuate, fritter away, mitigate, dwarf, throw into the shade, reduce, shorten, subtract.

Success

VB succeed, be successful, gain one's end, gain one's ends, crown with success, gain a point, attain a point, carry a point, secure a point, win a point, win an object, get there, manage to, contrive to, accomplish, do wonders, work wonders, make a go of it, come off well, come off successful, come off with flying colors, make short work of, take by storm, carry by storm, bear away the bell, win one's wings, win one's spurs, win the battle, win the day, carry the day, gain the day, gain the prize, gain the palm, have the best of it, have it all one's own way, have the game in one's owns hands, have the ball at one's feet, have one on the hop, walk over the course, carry all before one, remain in possession of the field, score a success, speed, make progress, win one's way, make one's way, work one's way, find one's way, strive to some purpose, prosper, drive a roaring trade, make profit, reap the fruits, gather the fruits, reap the benefit of, reap the harvest, strike oil, gain a windfall, make one's fortune, get in the harvest, turn to good account, turn to account, triumph, be triumphant, gain a victory, obtain a victory, gain an advantage, chain victory to one's car, nail a coonskin to the wall, surmount a difficulty, overcome a difficulty, get over a difficulty, get over an obstacle, se tirer d'affaire, make head against, stem the torrent, stem the tide, stem the current, weather the storm, weather a point, turn a corner, keep one's head above water, tide over, master, get the better of, have the better of, gain the better of, gain the best of, gain the upper hand, gain the ascendancy, gain the whip hand, gain the start of, distance, surpass, defeat, conquer, vanquish, discomfit, euchre, overcome, overthrow, overpower, overmaster, overmatch, overset, override, overreach, outwit, outdo, outflank, outmaneuver, outgeneral, outvote, take the wind out of one's adversary's sails, beat, beat hollow, rout, lick, drub, floor, worst, put down, put to flight, put to the rout, put hors de combat, put out of court, silence, quell, nonsuit, checkmate, upset, confound, nonplus, stalemate, trump, baffle, circumvent, elude, trip up, trip up the heels of, drive into a corner, drive to the wall, run hard, put one's nose out of joint, settle, do for, break the neck of, break the back of, capsize, sink, shipwreck, drown, swamp, subdue, subjugate, reduce, make the enemy bite the dust, victimize, roll in the dust, trample under foot, put an extinguisher upon, answer, answer the purpose, avail, prevail, take effect, do, turn out well, work well, take, tell, bear fruit, hit it, hit the mark, hit the right nail on the head, nick it, turn up trumps, make a hit, find one's account in.

Fewness

VB be few, render few, reduce, diminish the number, weed, eliminate, cull, thin, decimate.

Poverty

VB be poor, want, lack, starve, live from hand to mouth, have seen better days, go down in the world, come upon the parish, go to the dogs, go to wrack and ruin, not have a penny, not have a shot in one's locker, beg one's bread, tirer le diable par la queue, run into debt, render poor, impoverish, reduce, reduce to poverty, pauperize, fleece, ruin, bring to the parish.

Discount

VB discount, bate, abate, rebate, reduce, price down, mark down take off, allow, give, make allowance, tax.

Weakness

VB be weak, drop, crumble, give way, totter, tremble, shake, halt, limp, fade, languish, decline, flag, fail, have one leg in the grave, render weak, weaken, enfeeble, debilitate, shake, deprive of strength, relax, enervate, eviscerate, unbrace, unnerve, cripple, unman, cramp, reduce, sprain, strain, blunt the edge of, dilute, impoverish, decimate, extenuate, reduce in strength, reduce the strength of, mettre de l'eau dans son vin.

Contraction

VB become small, become smaller, lessen, decrease, grow less, dwindle, shrink, contract, narrow, shrivel, collapse, wither, lose flesh, wizen, fall away, waste, wane, ebb, decay, be smaller than, fall short of, not come up to, render smaller, lessen, diminish, contract, draw in, narrow, coarctate, boil down, constrict, constringe, condense, compress, squeeze, corrugate, crimp, crunch, crush, crumple up, warp, purse up, pack, squeeze, stow, pinch, tighten, strangle, cramp, dwarf, bedwarf, shorten, circumscribe, restrain, (subtraction) 38 abrade, pare, reduce, attenuate, rub down, scrape, file, file down, grind, grind down, chip, shave, shear, wear down.

Shortness

VB be short, render short, shorten, curtail, abridge, abbreviate, take in, reduce, compress, epitomize, retrench, cut short, obtruncate, scrimp, cut, chop up, hack, hew, cut down, pare down, clip, dock, lop, prune, shear, shave, mow, reap, crop, snub, truncate, pollard, stunt, nip, check the growth of, foreshorten (in drawing).

Depression

VB depress, lower, let down, take down, let down a peg, take down a peg, cast, let drop, let fall, sink, debase, bring low, abase, reduce, detrude, pitch, precipitate, overthrow, overturn, overset, upset, subvert, prostate, level, fell, cast down, take down, throw down, fling down, dash down, pull down, cut down, knock down, hew down, raze, raze to the ground, rase to the ground, trample in the dust, pull about one's ears, sit, sit down, couch, squat, crouch, stoop, bend, bow, courtesy, curtsy, bob, duck, dip, kneel, bend the knee, bow the knee, bend the head, bow the head, cower, recline.