dehydrate

American  

[dee-hahy-dreyt] / diˈhaɪ dreɪt /

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.

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verb (used without object)

dehydrated, dehydrating

1. to lose water or moisture.

   Milk dehydrates easily.

dehydrate British  

/ 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

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Related Words

See evaporate.

Other Word Forms

• dehydration noun
• dehydrator noun

Etymology

Origin of dehydrate

First recorded in 1850–55; de- + hydrate

Example Sentences

“I’m having some tea. Would you like any? Or hot chocolate. It’s the dehydrated kind, but it has marshmallows.”

From Literature

Through the ash and mud, dehydrated and scared, they kept moving.

From Literature

Fresh—a broad category that includes gently cooked, freeze-dried raw and dehydrated products—is a fast-growing segment of the pet-food industry.

From The Wall Street Journal

"She was also dehydrated and they thought it was a lymph node infection. They sent her home with antibiotics and some apple juice to drink."

From BBC

At the vets, it was discovered Floss was dehydrated, extremely underweight and anaemic, most likely due to the combination of malnutrition and fleas.

From BBC

Related Words

• dry out