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The complete distilling apparatus consists of three parts: the "cucurbit": the still pot containing the liquid to be distilled, which is heated by a flame; the "head" or "cap": which fits over the mouth of the cucurbit to receive the vapors, with an attached downward-sloping "tube": container.

In the case of another distilling vessel, the retort, the "cap" and the "cucurbit" have been combined to form a single vessel. The anbik is also called the raʾs (head) of the cucurbit. The liquid in the cucurbit is heated or boiled; the vapour rises into the anbik, where it cools by contact with the walls and condenses, running down the spout into the receiver. A modern descendant of the alembic is the pot still, used to produce distilled beverages.