3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Reduce  \Re*duce"\  (r[-e]*d[=u]s"),  v.  t.  [imp.  &  p.  p.  {Reduced} 
  (-d[=u]st"),;  p.  pr  &  vb  n.  {Reducing}  (-d[=u]"s[i^]ng).] 
  [L.  reducere,  reductum  pref.  red-.  re-,  re-  +  ducere  to 
  lead.  See  {Duke},  and  cf  {Redoubt},  n.] 
  1.  To  bring  or  lead  back  to  any  former  place  or  condition. 
  [Obs.] 
 
  And  to  his  brother's  house  reduced  his  wife. 
  --Chapman. 
 
  The  sheep  must  of  necessity  be  scattered,  unless  the 
  great  Shephered  of  souls  oppose,  or  some  of  his 
  delegates  reduce  and  direct  us  --Evelyn. 
 
  2.  To  bring  to  any  inferior  state,  with  respect  to  rank, 
  size,  quantity,  quality,  value,  etc.;  to  diminish;  to 
  lower;  to  degrade;  to  impair;  as  to  reduce  a  sergeant  to 
  the  ranks;  to  reduce  a  drawing;  to  reduce  expenses;  to 
  reduce  the  intensity  of  heat.  ``An  ancient  but  reduced 
  family.''  --Sir  W.  Scott. 
 
  Nothing  so  excellent  but  a  man  may  fasten  upon 
  something  belonging  to  it  to  reduce  it 
  --Tillotson. 
 
  Having  reduced  Their  foe  to  misery  beneath  their 
  fears.  --Milton. 
 
  Hester  Prynne  was  shocked  at  the  condition  to  which 
  she  found  the  clergyman  reduced.  --Hawthorne. 
 
  3.  To  bring  to  terms;  to  humble;  to  conquer;  to  subdue;  to 
  capture;  as  to  reduce  a  province  or  a  fort. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Reducing  \Re*du"cing\  (r?*d?"s?ng), 
  a  &  n.  from  {Reduce}. 
 
  {Reducing  furnace}  (Metal.),  a  furnace  for  reducing  ores. 
 
  {Reducing  pipe  fitting},  a  pipe  fitting,  as  a  coupling,  an 
  elbow,  a  tee,  etc.,  for  connecting  a  large  pipe  with  a 
  smaller  one 
 
  {Reducing  valve},  a  device  for  automatically  maintaining  a 
  diminished  pressure  of  steam,  air,  gas,  etc.,  in  a  pipe, 
  or  other  receiver,  which  is  fed  from  a  boiler  or  pipe  in 
  which  the  pressure  is  higher  than  is  desired  in  the 
  receiver. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  reducing 
  n  :  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  [syn:  {reduction}] 

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