Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Preserved by removing natural moisture: Describes something, typically food, that has had its water content removed to prevent spoilage and extend shelf life.
   • Suffering from excessive loss of water from the body: Describes a state where a person or living organism has lost too much water, often leading to health issues.

Examples of Usage

• Adjective:
  • The hikers carried dehydrated meals for their week-long trek. (The meals were preserved by having their water removed.)
  • After running the marathon without drinking enough, she felt weak and dehydrated. (She was suffering from excessive water loss in her body.)

Advanced Usage

• Technical/Scientific Context: In chemistry or biology, "dehydrated" can describe a substance from which water molecules have been removed through a chemical reaction or process.
  • The dehydrated alcohol was used as a solvent in the laboratory.
• Figurative Use: Occasionally used metaphorically to describe something that is drained of vitality, energy, or interest.
  • The dehydrated landscape of the novel mirrored the protagonist's emotional state.

Variants and Related Words

• Dehydrate (verb): To remove water from something; to lose water from the body.
  • We need to dehydrate these fruits to preserve them.
  • You can dehydrate quickly in this hot climate.
• Dehydration (noun): The process of removing water; the harmful condition of having lost too much body water.
  • Dehydration is a common method for food preservation.
  • The athlete was treated for severe dehydration.

Synonyms

• Dried: Having had moisture removed. (Often used interchangeably for food preservation, but "dehydrated" can imply a more controlled or industrial process.)
• Desiccated: Dried out thoroughly. (More formal or technical; often implies extreme dryness.)
• Parched: Extremely dry, especially from thirst. (Commonly used for people or land suffering from lack of water.)

Related Phrases

• Become dehydrated: To enter a state of dehydration.
  • It's easy to become dehydrated when you're sick.
• Dehydrated state: The condition of being dehydrated.
  • The doctor warned about the dangers of a chronically dehydrated state.

Notes on Meaning

• The first meaning (preserved by removing moisture) is primarily applied to objects, especially food products (e.g., , ). It is a state resulting from a process.
• The second meaning (suffering from water loss) is primarily applied to living beings (people, animals, plants). It describes a harmful physiological condition.
• While "dried" is a close synonym, "dehydrated" often suggests a specific intent (for preservation) or a medical condition, whereas "dried" can be more general (e.g., , ).

Adjective

1. preserved by removing natural moisture
   • dried beef
   • dried fruit
   • dehydrated eggs
   • shredded and desiccated coconut meat
2. suffering from excessive loss of water from the body
   • fever resulted from becoming dehydrated
   • was dehydrated after the marathon