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
Frits StaalExamples of desiccation in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This drying out, referred to as desiccation, leads to winter injury or winter kill depending on the severity of damage.
—Heather Zidack, Hartford Courant, 12 Apr. 2025
The desiccation in the Fertile Crescent and across the African continent has led to recurring droughts and growing water shortages.
—Moshe Yaalon, Foreign Affairs, 26 Jan. 2018
When brown sugar is exposed to air for too long, that moisture begins to evaporate, which results in hardening, clumping, and desiccation.
—Mary Claire Britton, Southern Living, 27 Mar. 2025
This bacterium laughs in the face of harsh chemicals, extreme cold, acids and desiccation.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for desiccation
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Heather Zidack, Hartford Courant, 12 Apr. 2025
The desiccation in the Fertile Crescent and across the African continent has led to recurring droughts and growing water shortages.
—Moshe Yaalon, Foreign Affairs, 26 Jan. 2018
When brown sugar is exposed to air for too long, that moisture begins to evaporate, which results in hardening, clumping, and desiccation.
—Mary Claire Britton, Southern Living, 27 Mar. 2025
This bacterium laughs in the face of harsh chemicals, extreme cold, acids and desiccation.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for desiccation
Cite this Entry
“Desiccation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/desiccation. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical 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
W. H. Schmidt Love words? Need even more definitions?
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