Dilution
/dɪˈluː.ʃən/noun
The process of making a substance or idea thinner, weaker, or less concentrated.
Did you know?Dilution comes from Latin *diluere*, meaning to wash away or dissolve, and its deeper PIE root is tied to washing and loosening things apart — a very old image of erasure.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*leu-
“to wash, cleanse, loosen”
Latin
Latin
diluere
“to wash away, dissolve, weaken by mixing with liquid”
Late Latin
Latin
dilutio
“a washing away; dilution”
Old French
Old French
dilucion
“dilution, thinning”
Middle English
English
dilucioun
“the act of making thinner or weaker”
Modern English
English
dilution
“the act or process of making something less concentrated or less strong”