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’ve treated elderly patients who had been found wandering the streets, lying in their own excrement or simply dehydrated because of gaps in care.

From The Wall Street Journal

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

He sweated profusely and looked as if he might be dehydrated.

From Los Angeles Times

Once matured, they were dehydrated to preserve them and then attached to custom electronic circuits.

From Science Daily

Except, in recent months images have emerged showing weak, dehydrated children - some as young as seven - hooked up to intravenous drips.

From BBC

Related Words

• dry out