desiccation

noun

des·​ic·​ca·​tion ˌde-si-ˈkā-shən 

: the act or process of drying or desiccating something or the state of being or becoming dried up : removal or loss of moisture : thorough drying

desiccation of soil

This … led to the increasingly dry climate and eventual desiccation of all Central Asia and Tibet.

—Frits Staal

Examples of desiccation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The desiccation left marinas that once teemed with sailboats marooned, surrounded by sand. —Evan Bush, NBC news, 7 Mar. 2026

Among those potential moves to appease MAHA would be a ban on pre-harvest desiccation, a process where weed killers are applied to crops before harvest to make harvesting easier. —Garrett Downs, CNBC, 27 Feb. 2026

Evergreen shrubs like Indian hawthorn benefit from protection against strong winter winds to prevent desiccation, particularly in the colder regions of its range. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 27 Feb. 2026

Plants Affected by Winter Burn Also known as winter desiccation, winter burn affects both evergreens and semi-evergreens. —Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for desiccation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation

Medical Definition

desiccation

noun

des·​ic·​ca·​tion ˌdes-i-ˈkā-shən 

: the act or process of desiccating or the state of being or becoming desiccated

especially : a complete or nearly complete deprivation of moisture (as by vaporization or by evaporation) or of water not chemically combined : dehydration

from the long-wave diathermy machine two distinct currents are obtained which produce desiccation and electrocoagulation respectively

—W. H. Schmidt