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Definition

noun, plural: decoctions

(1) The act or process or the product of extraction or boiling in a watery fluid.

(2) (pharmacy) A method of extraction by boiling of dissolved chemicals, or herbal or plant material, which may include stems, roots, bark and rhizomes.

Supplement

The process includes mashing, and then boiling in water to extract oils, volatile organic compounds, and other chemical substance.

Word origin: From Old French décoction or Latin decoctio (decoct-, past participle stem of decoquere ‘boil down’, from de + coquere ‘cook’).
Related forms: decoct (verb)