1. (

• reduction ,
• reducing

) any process in which electrons are added to an atom or ion (as by removing oxygen or adding hydrogen); always occurs accompanied by oxidation of the reducing agent ;

2. (

• reducing ,

) loss of excess weight (as by dieting); becoming slimmer; "a doctor supervised her reducing" ;

1. (

• reduce ,
• cut_down ,
• cut_back ,
• trim ,
• trim_down ,
• trim_back ,
• cut ,
• bring_down

) cut down on; make a reduction in; "reduce your daily fat intake"; "The employer wants to cut back health benefits" ;

2. (

• reduce ,

) make less complex; "reduce a problem to a single question" ;

3. (

• reduce

) bring to humbler or weaker state or condition; "He reduced the population to slavery" ;

4. (

• reduce ,

) simplify the form of a mathematical equation of expression by substituting one term for another ;

5. (

• reduce

) lower in grade or rank or force somebody into an undignified situation; "She reduced her niece to a servant" ;

6. (

• reduce ,
• come_down ,
• boil_down ,

) be the essential element; "The proposal boils down to a compromise" ;

7. (

• shrink ,
• reduce ,

) reduce in size; reduce physically; "Hot water will shrink the sweater"; "Can you shrink this image?" ;

8. (

• reduce

) lessen and make more modest; "reduce one's standard of living" ;

9. (

• reduce ,
• scale_down ,

) make smaller; "reduce an image" ;

10. (

• deoxidize ,
• deoxidise ,
• reduce ,

) to remove oxygen from a compound, or cause to react with hydrogen or form a hydride, or to undergo an increase in the number of electrons ;

11. (

• reduce ,
• tighten ,

) narrow or limit; "reduce the influx of foreigners" ;

12. (

• repress ,
• quash ,
• keep_down ,
• subdue ,
• subjugate ,
• reduce ,

) put down by force or intimidation; "The government quashes any attempt of an uprising"; "China keeps down her dissidents very efficiently"; "The rich landowners subjugated the peasants working the land" ;

13. (

• reduce

) undergo meiosis; "The cells reduce" ;

14. (

• reduce ,

) reposition (a broken bone after surgery) back to its normal site ;

15. (

• reduce ,

) destress and thus weaken a sound when pronouncing it ;

16. (

• abridge ,
• foreshorten ,
• abbreviate ,
• shorten ,
• cut ,
• contract ,
• reduce ,

) reduce in scope while retaining essential elements; "The manuscript must be shortened" ;

17. (

• boil_down ,
• reduce ,
• decoct ,
• concentrate ,

) be cooked until very little liquid is left; "The sauce should reduce to one cup" ;

18. (

• reduce ,
• boil_down ,
• concentrate

) cook until very little liquid is left; "The cook reduced the sauce by boiling it for a long time" ;

19. (

• dilute ,
• thin ,
• thin_out ,
• reduce ,
• cut ,

) lessen the strength or flavor of a solution or mixture; "cut bourbon" ;

20. (

• reduce ,
• melt_off ,
• slim ,
• slenderize ,
• thin ,
• slim_down

) take off weight ;