dehydrated
UK[ˌdiːhaɪˈdreɪtɪd]US[ˌdiːˈhaɪdreɪtɪd]
adj
(of a person's body or a substance) having lost a large amount of water
adj
(of food) having had the water removed in order to preserve it
Morpheme Breakdown
de
hydr
ated
de
remove
hydr
water
ated
adjective suffix
Etymology
The word 'dehydrated' is a modern scientific term built from classical components. The prefix 'de-', from Latin, signifies removal or reversal. It is attached to the Greek root 'hydr-', derived from 'hydor' (water), which is a fundamental element in many scientific terms like 'hydrant' and 'hydroelectric'. The suffix '-ated' is an English adjectival ending, often indicating a state or condition resulting from an action. Thus, the literal construction "remove-water-state" logically evolved to describe the specific condition of having water extracted, whether from a living organism or a food substance.
Analysis
Structure: de (remove) + hydr (water) + ated (adjective suffix)
de- (Latin prefix meaning 'remove' or 'undo'), hydr (Greek root 'hydor' meaning 'water'), -ated (English suffix forming adjectives, often from past participles of verbs).
Examples
After hiking in the desert without water, the explorers became severely dehydrated.
The recipe calls for dehydrated mushrooms, which need to be soaked before use.
Dehydrated skin often feels tight and may appear flaky.