decalcify

[ dee-kal-suh-fahy ]

verb (used with object),de·cal·ci·fied, de·cal·ci·fy·ing.

to deprive of lime or calcareous matter, as a bone.

verb (used without object),de·cal·ci·fied, de·cal·ci·fy·ing.

to become decalcified.

Origin of decalcify

First recorded in 1840–50; de- + calcify

Other words from decalcify

de·cal·ci·fi·er, noun
non·de·cal·ci·fied, adjective

Words Nearby decalcify

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

British Dictionary definitions for decalcify

decalcify

/ (diːˈkælsɪˌfaɪ) /

verb-fies, -fying or -fied

(tr) to remove calcium or lime from (bones, teeth, etc)

Derived forms of decalcify

decalcification (diːˌkælsɪfɪˈkeɪʃən), noun
decalcifier, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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