To draw out, extract, or obtain by distillation or similar process.
From Latin 'ex-' (out) + 'stillare' (to drop, drip), related to 'distill.' This rare verb appears in medieval and early modern scientific texts describing alchemical and pharmaceutical processes.
Alchemists would spend years trying to extill essence of gold or philosopher's stone from base metals—basically the original 'extract the essence' that we still talk about metaphorically today!
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