Topic: NUTRITION
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| Date: | 1300-1400 |
| Language: | Latin |
| Origin: | reducere 'to lead back', from ducere 'to lead' |
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re‧duce S1 W1
1 [transitive] to make something smaller or less in size, amount, or price [= cut; ↪ reduction]: The governor announced a new plan to reduce crime. The helmet law should reduce injuries in motorcycle accidents. Small businesses will need to reduce costs in order to survive.
The governor announced a new plan to reduce crime.The helmet law should reduce injuries in motorcycle accidents.Small businesses will need to reduce costs in order to survive. reduce something (from something) to something All the shirts were reduced to £10. The new bridge should reduce travelling time from 50 minutes to 15 minutes.
All the shirts were reduced to £10.The new bridge should reduce travelling time from 50 minutes to 15 minutes.2 [intransitive and transitive]DFC if you reduce a liquid, or if it reduces, you boil it so that there is less of it
3 [intransitive] especially American EnglishDCDFN to become thinner by losing weight [↪ diet]
reduce somebody/something to something
phrasal verb1 to make someone cry, be silent etc : She was reduced to tears in front of her students.
reduce somebody to tears/silence etc
She was reduced to tears in front of her students.2 to make someone do something they would rather not do, especially when it involves behaving or living in a way that is not as good as before : Eventually Charlotte was reduced to begging on the streets.
reduce somebody to doing something
Eventually Charlotte was reduced to begging on the streets.3 to destroy something, especially a building, completely : A massive earthquake reduced the city to rubble.
reduce something to ashes/rubble/ruins
A massive earthquake reduced the city to rubble.4 to change something into a shorter simpler form : Many jobs can be reduced to a few simple points.
Many jobs can be reduced to a few simple points.