reduce
/rɪˈdjuːs/- make smaller or less in amount, degree, or size减少（数量）, 降低（程度）, 缩小（规模）：
the need for businesses to reduce costs
公司降低成本的需要
the workforce has been reduced to some 6,100
职工总数已被减至6,100人左右
as adj. reduced a reduced risk of coronary disease.降低了的冠心病风险。
- no obj. become smaller or less in size, amount, or degree（规模）缩小, （数量）减少, （程度）降低：
the number of priority homeless cases has reduced slightly.
被优先照顾的无家可归者人数已微幅下降。
- boil (a sauce or other liquid) in cooking so that it becomes thicker and more concentrated慢煮使（调味汁等液体）浓缩变稠。
- no obj. chiefly N. Amer. (of a person) lose weight, typically by dieting〈主北美〉（尤指通过节食）减轻体重, 减肥：
by May she had reduced to 9 stone.
到五月份她的体重已减至九英石。
- archaic conquer (a place), in particular besiege and capture (a town or fortress)〈古〉攻克, 征服（尤指围攻并占领城镇或要塞）。
- Photography make (a negative or print) less dense【摄】减薄（底片或图片）。
- Phonetics articulate (a speech sound) in a way requiring less muscular effort, giving rise in vowels to a more central articulatory position【语音】弱化。
reduce someone/thing to
bring someone or something to (a lower or weaker state, condition, or role)使（某人/事）降至（某种状态、境地或角色）：she has been reduced to near poverty
她沦落到几乎一无所有
the church was reduced to rubble.
教堂成了一堆碎石。
be reduced to doing something
(of a person) be forced by difficult circumstances into doing something desperate（人）被逼无奈, 走投无路：ordinary soldiers are reduced to begging.
普通士兵被迫行乞街头。
- make someone helpless with (an expression of emotion, especially with hurt, shock, or amusement)使无法不表露某种神情（尤指受屈、受惊或感到有趣）：
Olga was reduced to stunned silence.
奥尔加被吓得一言不发。
- force into (obedience or submission)使顺从; 使屈服：
he succeeds in reducing his grandees to due obedience.
他成功地使他的大公们服服帖帖。
reduce something to
change a substance to (a different or more basic form)使改变形式; 使还原：it is difficult to understand how lava could have been reduced to dust.
很难理解熔岩是如何变成灰的。
- present a problem or subject in (a simplified form)归纳, 简化：
he reduces unimaginable statistics to manageable proportions.
他的工作是把不可思议的统计数据简化到可操作程度。
- convert a fraction to (the form with the lowest terms)将分数约到（最小项）。
- Chemistry cause to combine chemically with hydrogen【化】使还原。
- undergo or cause to undergo a reaction in which electrons are gained from another substance or molecule（使）进行还原反应。 OXIDIZE的反义词。
- restore (a dislocated part) to its proper position by manipulation or surgery使（脱臼, 断骨）复位。
- remedy (a dislocation) in such a way治疗（脱臼, 断骨）。
reduced circumstances
- used euphemistically to refer to the state of being poor after being relatively wealthy委婉表达从富到穷生活窘迫：
a divorcee living in reduced circumstances
生活拮据的离婚者。
reduce someone to the ranks
- demote a non-commissioned officer to an ordinary soldier把军士降为普通士兵。