deoxygenate

American  

[dee-ok-si-juh-neyt] / diˈɒk sɪ dʒəˌneɪt /

verb (used with object)

Chemistry.

deoxygenated, deoxygenating

1. to remove oxygen from (a substance, as blood or water).

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deoxygenate British  

/ diːˈɒksɪdʒɪˌneɪt, diːˈɒksɪdʒɪˌnaɪz /

verb

1. (tr) to remove oxygen from (water, air, etc)

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Other Word Forms

• deoxygenation noun

Etymology

Origin of deoxygenate

First recorded in 1790–1800; de- + oxygenate

Example Sentences

Salmon farmers sometimes inadvertently overfeed their stock, and the uneaten feed promotes the growth of algal blooms that deoxygenate the water as they decompose.

From Scientific American

Without sensors, warehouse workers might try to reach in — gingerly, since a single breath of the deoxygenated air could make them pass out — and grab some apples to check them.

From Seattle Times

Oxygenated blood is bright cherry red, and deoxygenated blood has a more purplish hue.

From New York Times

It's a process called pyrolysis — also known as "chemical recycling" — and it uses heat to break down plastic in a deoxygenated environment, turning it into liquid oil that can then be burned for energy.

From Salon

The rocks also emitted molybdenum and uranium — geochemical proxies that suggest the oceans were deoxygenated at the time.

From New York Times