dehydrate

[dee-hahy-dreyt]

verb (used with object)

dehydrated, dehydrating 

1. to deprive (a chemical compound) of water or the elements of water.

2. to free (fruit, vegetables, etc.) from moisture for preservation; dry.

3. to remove water from (the body or a tissue).

4. to deprive of spirit, force, or meaning; render less interesting or effectual.

verb (used without object)

dehydrated, dehydrating 

1. to lose water or moisture.

   Milk dehydrates easily.

dehydrate

/ ˌdiːhaɪˈdreɪt, diːˈhaɪdreɪt /

verb

1. to lose or cause to lose water; make or become anhydrous

2. to lose or cause to lose hydrogen atoms and oxygen atoms in the proportions in which they occur in water, as in a chemical reaction

3. to lose or deprive of water, as the body or tissues

Other Word Forms

• dehydrator noun
• dehydration noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of dehydrate¹

First recorded in 1850–55; de- + hydrate

Synonym Study

See evaporate.

Example Sentences

It’s the closest stop for injured hikers and dehydrated tourists visiting Whitney or nearby Death Valley, which regularly receives more than 1 million visitors per year.

From Los Angeles Times

But on this trek he had lost his pack and was at the mercy of the elements ever since, hungry, dehydrated and shivering under a bed of needles.

From Los Angeles Times

Dr Anand said surgery could not be performed immediately as the baby was dehydrated, malnourished and first had to be stabilised.

From BBC

“When you’re sick and potentially dehydrated, the tax of pitching in a game wasn’t worth it,” Roberts said.

From Los Angeles Times

During the seven weeks he lived with them, he became severely malnourished, dehydrated, and had more than 40 injuries on his body when he died.

From BBC

Related Words

• dry out