Hypohydrate

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To cause the body to lose or lack a dangerous amount of water, often through illness, heat, or exercise
2. To leave a living organism, such as a person or animal, with less body water than it needs to function well
3. To bring about a state of insufficient fluid in the tissues, usually through illness, heat, or strenuous activity

Etymology: In Greek, "hypo" meant "under" or "below." English still uses it in words like "hypothermia," where body temperature drops below normal. Joined to "hydrate," from the Greek "hydor," meaning "water," it describes a body or system that has less water than it should. The verb is a modern scientific formation from these classical parts, most likely built from the noun "hypohydration" and used in medical and physiological writing. Ancient Greek speakers had no word like it.

Synonyms: dehydrate

Antonyms: hydrate, rehydrate