desiccate
/dɪˈsɪkeɪt/
Group 2Difficulty 2/3
Definition
- (verb)
- To remove the moisture from; to dry out GRE
Example in Context
Years of drought had desiccated the landscape, transforming once-productive farmland into a dusty expanse that could support neither crops nor livestock.
Synonyms
dry outdehydrateparch
Etymology
To dry out completely, removing moisture.
- desiccatus (Latin) — dried up
Memory Aid
📅Sounds like “desiccate sounds like 'desk-it-caked'”
Picture a desk covered in caked-up, dried-out cake crumbs — utterly DESICCATED!
Visual Association
🌵A desert landscape with a sun-baked cactus, all moisture evaporated, under a blazing sun.
Semantic Clusters
Synonym Groups
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “desiccate” mean on the GRE?
desiccate (verb) means “To remove the moisture from; to dry out”. Years of drought had desiccated the landscape, transforming once-productive farmland into a dusty expanse that could support neither crops nor livestock.
How to remember “desiccate” for the GRE?
Mnemonic: “desiccate” sounds like “desiccate sounds like 'desk-it-caked'”. Picture a desk covered in caked-up, dried-out cake crumbs — utterly DESICCATED!
What are synonyms for “desiccate”?
Common synonyms: dry out, dehydrate, parch.