Definition of REDUCTION

reduction

Plural: reductions

Noun

  • the act of decreasing or reducing something
  • any process in which electrons are added to an atom or ion (as by removing oxygen or adding hydrogen); always occurs accompanied by oxidation of the reducing agent
  • the act of reducing complexity
  • The act, process, or result of reducing.
  • The amount or rate by which something is reduced, e.g. in price.
  • A reaction in which electrons are gained and valence is reduced; often by the removal of oxygen or the addition of hydrogen.
  • The process of rapidly boiling a sauce to concentrate it.
  • The rewriting of an expression into a simpler form.
  • A transformation of one problem into another problem, such as mapping reduction or polynomial-time reduction.
  • An arrangement for a far smaller number of parties, e.g. a keyboard solo based on a full opera.
  • A philosophical procedure intended to reveal the objects of consciousness as pure phenomena. (See phenomenological reduction.)
  • A medical procedure to restore a fracture or dislocation to the correct alignment, usually with a closed approach but sometimes with an open approach (surgery).
  • A reduced price of something by a fraction or decimal.
  • The ratio of a material's change in thickness compared to its thickness prior to forging and/or rolling.
  • A religious settlement created during a mission by Spanish or Portuguese colonists with the intent of evangelizing Christianity to the local population.

Examples

  • A 5% reduction in robberies
  • closed reduction
  • open reduction and internal fixation
  • Spanish reductions in Mexico were common during the 18th century.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English reduccion, a borrowing from Old French reducion, from Latin reductiō, reductiōnem.

Scrabble Score: 12

reduction: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
reduction: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
reduction: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 15

reduction: valid Words With Friends Word