Dessication

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The process of removing all moisture from something until it becomes thoroughly dry
2. Complete removal of water or liquid content from a substance, leaving it withered or parched
3. The act of drying something out entirely so that it loses all or nearly all its water content

Etymology: The root is the Latin "siccus," meaning "dry," which also gave English "sicker" in the sense of a dry or arid place, though that is a different path. Latin combined "siccus" with the prefix "de-" to form "desiccare," meaning to dry out thoroughly, and from that came "desiccatio," the act of drying out completely. English took the word through Latin, not through French, so its spelling tracks the Latin closely. The double "c" in "desiccation" comes from the Latin "cc," and the common misspelling "dessication" drops it, which is why spell-checkers often flag it. The "de-" prefix carries the sense of thoroughness, so the word describes drying that goes all the way through rather than simply making something a little drier.

Synonyms: desiccation, drying, dehydration

Antonyms: hydration, moistening