Re-dūce′, v. t.
v. t. [imp. & p. p. REDUCED (re-dūst′); p. pr. & vb. n. REDUCING.] [Lat. reducere, from re, again, back, and ducere, to lead; It. riducere or ridurre, Sp. reducir, Pg. reduzir, Fr. réduire.
Sense 1. To bring back or lead in again. [Obs.] “And to his brother’s house reduced his wife.” Chapman.
The sheep must of necessity be scattered, unless the great Shepherd of souls oppose, or some of his delegates reduce and direct us. Evelyn.
Sense 2. To bring, that is, to a state or condition specified, usually inferior or weaker, sometimes indifferent; to bring; to convert;—followed by to; as, to reduce a man to poverty; to reduce a substance to powder.
It were but just And equal to reduce me to my dust. Milton.
Sense 3. To bring to an inferior state, with respect to size, rank, quantity, value, or the like; to diminish; to lower; to degrade; to impair; as, to reduce expenses; to reduce the intensity of heat; to reduce a sum or amount; to reduce the strength of spirit. “The eldest son of an ancient but reduced family.” W. Scott.
Nothing so excellent but a man may fasten on something belonging to it, to reduce it. Tillotson.
Sense 4. Hence, to bring into subjection; to render submissive or subservient; to subdue.
Having reduced Their foe to misery beneath their fears. Milton.
Sense 5. To bring into a certain order, arrangement, classification, &c.; to bring under rules or within certain limits of description; as, to reduce animals or vegetables to a class or classes; to reduce men to tribes; to reduce language to rules.
Sense 6. (Arith.) To change, as numbers, from one denomination into another without altering their value, or from one denomination into others of the same value; as, to reduce a dollar to a hundred cents, or a hundred cents to a dollar.
Sense 7. (Metal.) To separate, as a metal, from other substances with which it is combined.
Sense 8. (Surg.) To restore to its proper place or condition, as a displaced organ or part; as, to reduce a dislocation or hernia.
To reduce a figure, design, or draught, to make a copy of it smaller than the original, but preserving the form and proportion. Gēill.—To reduce a fortification (Mil.), to capture it.—To reduce an equation (Alg.), to bring the unknown quantity by itself on one side, and all the known quantities on the other side, without destroying the equation.—To reduce a square (Mil.), to reform the column from the square.—To reduce to the ranks, to degrade, as a sergeant or corporal, for misconduct, to the station of a private soldier.
Synonyms—To diminish; lessen; decrease; abate; shorten; curtail; impair; lower; subject; subdue; subjugate; conquer.