desiccate
Meaning
to remove the moisture from something; to dry completely
to preserve food by drying it
Structure
Usage
the intense sun and wind will quickly desiccate the fallen leaves.
this machine is used to desiccate fruits for long-term storage.
archaeologists found bodies that had been naturally desiccated in the arid desert climate.
Etymology
the word 'desiccate' originates from the latin verb 'desiccare', which is a compound of the intensive prefix 'de-' and the adjective 'siccus', meaning "dry". the latin root 'siccus' itself is of uncertain origin, though it may be related to the proto-indo-european root seikw-, meaning "to pour out" or "to drain", conceptually linking dryness to the removal of liquid. entering english in the 16th century via the latin past participle 'desiccatus', the term has consistently denoted the process of thorough drying, whether for preservation or preparation. the logical progression from the literal morphemes "completely" + "dry" + "to make" directly and transparently forms its modern meaning of removing all moisture.
Analysis
de: a latin prefix meaning "completely" or "thoroughly". sicc: from latin "siccus", meaning "dry". ate: a verb-forming suffix of latin origin, indicating to make or perform the action of the root.