desiccate

American  

[des-i-keyt] / ˈdɛs ɪˌkeɪt /

verb (used with object)

desiccated, desiccating

1. to dry thoroughly; dry up.

2. to preserve (food) by removing moisture; dehydrate.

---

verb (used without object)

desiccated, desiccating

1. to become thoroughly dried or dried up.

desiccate British  

/ ˈdɛsɪˌkeɪt /

verb

1. (tr) to remove most of the water from (a substance or material); dehydrate

2. (tr) to preserve (food) by removing moisture; dry

3. (intr) to become dried up

---

desiccate Scientific  

/ dĕs′ĭ-kāt′ /

1. To remove the moisture from something or dry it thoroughly.

2. ◆ A desiccator is a container that removes moisture from the air within it.

3. ◆ A desiccator contains a desiccant, a substance that traps or absorbs water molecules. Some desiccants include silica gel (silicon dioxide), calcium sulfate (dehydrated gypsum), calcium oxide (calcined lime), synthetic molecular sieves (porous crystalline aluminosilicates), and dried clay.

---

Other Word Forms

• desiccation
  noun
• desiccative
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of desiccate

1565–75; < Latin dēsiccātus dried up, past participle of dēsiccāre, equivalent to dē- de- + siccāre, derivative of siccus dry; see -ate ¹

Explanation

The verb desiccate means to dry out, dry up and dehydrate. It's helpful to desiccate weeds but certainly not crops. As anyone who's been stuck in the desert will tell you, being desiccated by the burning sun isn't much fun. Stemming from the Latin word desiccare, which means to "dry up," desiccate also means to preserve something by drying it out. Without desiccation, raisins or beef jerky would not be possible!

Example Sentences

Desiccate, de-sik′āt, or des′i-kāt, v.t. to dry up.—v.i. to grow dry.—adjs.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D) by Various