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

Prior to the weigh-in, which takes place a day before fight night, they may dehydrate to lose the final bit of weight.

From BBC • Nov. 14, 2025

Hydrating the salt releases heat, which is used to heat the building, and extra heat from the heat pump at other times of day is required to dehydrate, or charge, the TCM.

From Science Daily • Nov. 19, 2024

Mehta recommends switching to a hydrating, more cream based, cleanser and also decreasing application of products such as retinoids, exfoliant, and vitamin C, which can dehydrate skin.

From National Geographic • Nov. 28, 2023

But first, to bake them so that their skins crisp and the insides dehydrate even more, wash and dry the skin well and poke the potato all over with a fork.

From Washington Post • Feb. 12, 2023

They dehydrate dangerously quickly without it, even in cooler seasons.

From "Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer" by Kelly Jones

Related Words

• dry out