dehydrate

verb

de·​hy·​drate (ˌ)dē-ˈhī-ˌdrāt 

dehydrated; dehydrating; dehydrates

transitive verb

1

a

: to remove bound water or hydrogen and oxygen from (a chemical compound) in the proportion in which they form water

b

: to remove water from (something, such as a food)

2

: to deprive of vitality or savor

intransitive verb

: to lose water or body fluids

dehydrator

(ˌ)dē-ˈhī-ˌdrā-tər 

noun

Did you know?

Dehydrating food is a good way to preserve it; raisins, which are dehydrated grapes, are a good example. Dehydration through industrial processes makes it possible to keep food even longer and store it in a smaller space. Freeze-drying produces food that only needs rehydration—that is, the addition of water—to restore its original consistency. Runners, cyclists, and hikers fearful of dehydration seem to be constantly hydrating themselves nowadays, sometimes even using a shoulder pack with a tube going straight into the mouth. Dehydrate can also be used for making something "dry" or "lifeless;" thus, a dull teacher can dehydrate American history, and an unimaginative staging can dehydrate a great Shakespeare play.

Synonyms

• castrate
• damp
• dampen
• deaden
• desiccate
• devitalize
• enervate
• geld
• lobotomize
• petrify

Examples of dehydrate in a Sentence

Salt dehydrates the meat and keeps it from spoiling.

Athletes drink lots of water so they don't dehydrate.

Exercising in this heat will dehydrate you.

Recent Examples on the Web

He wasn't dehydrated or injured — only sunburned, Smelley said. —Charlotte Phillipp, Peoplemag, 31 Mar. 2024

Nearly 38 percent were dehydrated, and 30 percent were saponified, a chemical process that produces a preservative substance known as grave wax from fats in the body. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Mar. 2024

Caffeine itself can have a dehydrating effect, but this is offset by the amount of the drink. —Sheah Rarback, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024

It can be steamed, roasted, or fried, or dehydrated into a useful flour. —Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 28 Mar. 2024

Just glide some on to condition and rejuvenate lips dehydrated by a day in the sun. —Barbara Bellesi Zito, Travel + Leisure, 15 Mar. 2024

For people who are dehydrated, the easiest way to boost skin appearance would be to drink more water. —Jani Hall, Health, 21 Feb. 2024

Coastal winter-weather patterns plaster the state’s enormous peaks with a magical maritime snow that dehydrates into a velvety surface with unfathomable stability, even on super-steep slopes. —Jen Murphy, Robb Report, 3 Feb. 2024

Hall said when his son was found, he was severely dehydrated, hungry and covered in filth. —Theresa Vargas, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1876, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Kids Definition

dehydrate

verb

de·​hy·​drate (ˈ)dē-ˈhī-ˌdrāt 

1

: to remove water from (as foods)

2

: to lose water or body fluids

dehydration

ˌdē-ˌhī-ˈdrā-shən

noun

Medical Definition

dehydrate

verb

de·​hy·​drate (ˈ)dē-ˈhī-ˌdrāt 

dehydrated; dehydrating

transitive verb

1

: to remove bound water or hydrogen and oxygen from (a chemical compound) in the proportion in which they form water

2

: to remove water from (as foods)

intransitive verb

: to lose water or body fluids

dehydrator

-ˌdrāt-ər 

noun