decant

verb
de·​cant | \ di-ˈkant How to pronounce decant (audio) , dē-\
decanted; decanting; decants

Definition of decant

transitive verb

1 : to draw off (a liquid) without disturbing the sediment or the lower liquid layers
2 : to pour (a liquid, such as wine) from one vessel into another decanted the wine before the meal
3 : to pour out, transfer, or unload as if by pouring I was decanted from the car …— Ursula G. Bower

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Other Words from decant

decantation \ ˌdē-​ˌkan-​ˈtā-​shən How to pronounce decantation (audio) \ noun

Examples of decant in a Sentence

The bottles were uncorked and the wine was decanted an hour before the meal.

Recent Examples on the Web

Some shows may require decanting all water into cups upon entry. Jim Harrington, The Mercury News, "Concert security: What to expect at major Bay Area venues," 19 July 2019 Workers will decant the water using three water pumps through 600 meters (1,969 feet) of pipeline to a reservoir. Swati Gupta, CNN, "Indian water train arrives with desperately needed relief for Chennai," 12 July 2019 Buy a bottle to drink now (decanted) and one to drink in a year or two. Lettie Teague, WSJ, "This Elegant Italian Red Wine Is Easy to Love," 11 Dec. 2018 Generally speaking, full-bodied, younger reds can be decanted an hour before serving. Sam Dangremond, Town & Country, "You're Probably Making These Wine Mistakes," 9 Dec. 2016 And decanting them all in pretty bottles isn’t practical either. Jourdan Fairchild, House Beautiful, "The $400 Makeover That Actually Makes Me Look Forward To Doing Laundry," 6 Oct. 2018 If your fragrance-free moisturizer of choice doesn’t come in travel-sized packaging, a tip from Reddit: Just decant some of it into a contact solution case. Gray Chapman, SELF, "How Hikers Do Skin-Care on Long Backpacking Trips," 28 July 2018 Second, decanting aerates the wine, releasing more of the flavors and aromas. Sam Dangremond, Town & Country, "You're Probably Making These Wine Mistakes," 9 Dec. 2016 Or buy your favorite products in large quantities to save money, and decant into decorative containers for your shower or counter top. Jennifer Adams, Philly.com, "Ask Jennifer Adams: Spa-inspired product storage when you think there's none," 8 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'decant.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of decant

1633, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for decant

New Latin decantare, from Latin de- + Medieval Latin cantus edge, from Latin, iron ring round a wheel — more at cant

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More Definitions for decant

decant

verb

English Language Learners Definition of decant

formal : to pour (a liquid, especially wine) from one container into another
de·​cant | \ di-ˈkant How to pronounce decant (audio) \

Medical Definition of decant

: to draw off (a liquid) without disturbing the sediment or the lower liquid layers

Other Words from decant

decantation \ ˌdē-​ˌkan-​ˈtā-​shən How to pronounce decantation (audio) \ noun

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