dehydrate

verb

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de·hy·drate | \ (ˌ)dē-ˈhī-ˌdrāt

dehydrated; dehydrating; dehydrates

Definition of dehydrate

transitive verb

1a : 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

Other Words from dehydrate Synonyms & Antonyms Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about dehydrate

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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.

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 Hyaluronic acid used incorrectly can also dehydrate your skin. — Harper's Bazaar Staff, Harper's BAZAAR, "What Is Hyaluronic Acid?," 26 Feb. 2021 Some air fryers can bake, grill, roast or dehydrate. — Bre Richey, chicagotribune.com, "The best air fryer for a family of four," 23 Feb. 2021 Extreme temperature fluctuations can dehydrate, stress, and eventually kill plants. — Audrey Wachs, Curbed, "At Amazon, Pretending to Be Green Takes a Lot of Energy," 22 Feb. 2021 Nail-polish removers with acetone can dehydrate that area affecting the overall health of the nail. — Gabi Thorne, Allure, "The Best Press-On Nails to Try at Home Right Now," 20 Feb. 2021 Most ovens don’t have low enough temperature settings to properly dehydrate foods, meaning something like the Nesco Gardenmaster Food Dehydrator is a great tool for a lot of people to have. — Josh Grant, USA TODAY, "30 amazing gifts you can buy from Home Depot," 30 Oct. 2020 Others are rightfully marketed as four-in-one devices that might have a basic temperature control system to allow users to dehydrate, roast, and bake foods with a little more granular precision (see next section). — Popsci Commerce Team, Popular Science, "Best air fryer: Five things to consider," 4 Dec. 2020 The Instant Pot Duo Crisp is an 11-in-1 device that can roast, bake, air fry, dehydrate, broil and more. — Cnn Underscored Staff, CNN Underscored, "All the best Black Friday deals you can shop at Amazon right now," 24 Nov. 2020 This model has all the air frying necessities plus several lower heat ranges that allow users to dehydrate foods and proof dough. — Liv Birdsall, USA TODAY, "The 40 best gifts to buy from Wayfair," 5 Nov. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dehydrate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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