Word a Day
desiccate
What does desiccate mean?
desiccate (verb): to remove moisture from; to dry; to dry to an extreme degree.
Definition: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where does desiccate come from?
From Latin dēsiccō (“to dry completely, dry up”) + -ate (verb-forming suffix), from dē- (“completely, to exhaustion”, a prefix) + siccō (“to dry; to drain, exhaust”), from siccus (“dry”) + -ō (first conjugation verb-forming suffix).
Etymology: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Test yourself: do you know “desiccate”?
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What does “desiccate” mean?
to criticize so as to besmirch; traduce, disparage or defame
Not quite: that's what denigrate means.
to swing back and forth, especially if with a regular rhythm
Not quite: that's what oscillate means.
to remove moisture from; to dry; to dry to an extreme degree
Right! That's what “desiccate” means.
to place side by side, especially for contrast or comparison
Not quite: that's what juxtapose means.
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