dehydrate
verb
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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
Examples of dehydrate in a Sentence
Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 17 May 2024
People who are truly dehydrated—which is common among older adults—can experience altered mental status, hypotension, kidney failure, and other complications that may require hospitalization.
—Angela Haupt, TIME, 13 May 2024
The 2-week-old kitten was dehydrated, underweight, had minor cuts and had an upper respiratory infection.
—Helena Wegner, Sacramento Bee, 10 May 2024
Grace & Stella Moisturizing Eye Masks $15 $10 Air travel can be incredibly dehydrating to the skin, so your mom will be happy to have a pack of these moisturizing eye masks tucked into her carry-on to keep her looking and feeling fresh from takeoff to landing.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 7 May 2024
On top of that, dehydrating foodstuff—the best preservation method for perishables sent to space—removes vital nutrients.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 May 2024
Flores said her daughter was dehydrated but OK, according to WCAU.
—Lauren Liebhaber, Kansas City Star, 26 Mar. 2024
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
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dehydrate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near dehydrate
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“Dehydrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dehydrate. Accessed 21 May. 2024.
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dehydrate
verb
Medical Definition
dehydrate
verb
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