To dry out completely or remove all moisture from something.
From Latin desiccare, combining de- (completely) and siccare (to dry), from siccus meaning dry; the word has been in English since the 1600s.
Desiccate is the verb form used in science labs when researchers preserve specimens, but it's also what happens to your skin on long airplane flights—the same principle applies to mummies, beef jerky, and why astronauts need special humidifiers in space!
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