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desiccate

[des-i-keyt]

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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR desiccate 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.

Origin of desiccate

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

Related formsdes·ic·ca·tion, noundes·ic·ca·tive, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for desiccate

dry, dehydrate, sear, parch, evaporate, devitalize, drain, deplete, exsiccate, wither, divest, shrivel, wizen

Examples from the Web for desiccate

Historical Examples of desiccate

And aint I the owner of that news, and should I not desiccate it if I can?
Molly Brown's Post-Graduate Days
Nell Speed
The effect of that would be to desiccate the human species in human conceit.
Marse Henry (Vol. 2)
Henry Watterson
Another effect of the over heating of the stove is to desiccate or parch the air, and to render it irritating when breathed.
Cooley's Practical Receipts, Volume II
Arnold Cooley
To desiccate him in my laboratory with the quasi certainty of resuscitating him after the restoration of peace.
The Man With The Broken Ear
Edmond About

British Dictionary definitions for desiccate

desiccate

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 Formsdesiccation, 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

Word Origin and History for desiccate

v.

1570s (past participle adjective desicatt is attested from early 15c.), from Latin desiccatus, past participle of desiccare "to make very dry" (see desiccation). Related: Desiccated; desiccating.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

desiccate in Medicine

desiccate

[dĕs′ĭ-kāt′]

v.

To dry thoroughly; render free from moisture.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

desiccate in Science

desiccate

[dĕs′ĭ-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.