A process or method of reducing something complex into its most essential parts or simplest form.
Compound of 'boil' (from Old English 'bilian') and 'down' (from Old English 'dūn'), meaning to cook down by boiling, metaphorically extended to mean reducing to essentials. The phrase 'boil down' dates to the 19th century in American English.
This word perfectly captures what chemists and cooks both do—boiling removes the water and other bits you don't need, leaving only what matters. Journalists use 'boil it down' to mean strip a complex story to its core truth, showing how a kitchen technique became a thinking technique.
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