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desiccate

[ des-i-keyt ]
/ ˈdɛs ɪˌkeɪt /
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See synonyms for: desiccate / desiccated on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), des·ic·cat·ed, des·ic·cat·ing.
to dry thoroughly; dry up.
to preserve (food) by removing moisture; dehydrate.
verb (used without object), des·ic·cat·ed, des·ic·cat·ing.
to become thoroughly dried or dried up.
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Origin of desiccate

1565–75; <Latin dēsiccātus dried up, past participle of dēsiccāre, equivalent to dē-de- + siccāre, derivative of siccus dry; see -ate1

OTHER WORDS FROM desiccate

des·ic·ca·tion, noundes·ic·ca·tive, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use desiccate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for desiccate

desiccate
/ (ˈdɛsɪˌkeɪt) /

verb
(tr) to remove most of the water from (a substance or material); dehydrate
(tr) to preserve (food) by removing moisture; dry
(intr) to become dried up

Derived forms of desiccate

desiccation, noundesiccative, adjective

Word Origin for desiccate

C16: from Latin dēsiccāre to dry up, from de- + siccāre to dry, from siccus dry
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

Scientific definitions for desiccate

desiccate
[ dĕsĭ-kāt′ ]

To remove the moisture from something or dry it thoroughly.♦ A desiccator is a container that removes moisture from the air within it.♦ 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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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