What does "decoction" mean?

An extraction or essence of something, obtained by boiling it down.

What is a synonym for "decoction"?

Common synonyms include: boil, boiling, brew, broth, chemical solution, coction.

//dɪˈkɒkʃən// noun

noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Noun

1
An extraction or essence of something, obtained by boiling it down. countable, uncountable
"[I]nſtead of Honey, Rob of Elder, Conſerve of Roſes, or Syrup of Violets; Glyſters, Pedilavia of emollient Decoctions with Nitre; or Elder, Vinegar, or Focus's of the ſame, applied with Sponges behind the Ears, to the Armpits, Groins, Hams, &c. or with Barley-water and a little Roſe-vinegar."
2
(pharmacology) the extraction of water-soluble drug substances by boiling wordnet
3
The process of boiling something down in this way. countable, uncountable
"Even the fixed principles of vegetables, at least some of them, are injured by long decoction. The extractive matter, for instance, gradually absorbs oxygen from the atmosphere, and is converted into a substance nearly insipid and inert."

"Just because it's a decoction doesn't mean it's safe to drink."

From Old French decoccion, decoction, from Latin decoctiō, from decoquō (“I boil down”), from de- + coquō (“I cook”).

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.