desiccated
adjective
des·ic·cat·ed
ˈde-si-ˌkā-təd 
1
: dried up
a desiccated landscape
: preserved by drying
a cup of desiccated coconut
… all around were barrels of dried apples and apricots, shriveled and desiccated …—
Margaret Laurence
Margaret Laurence… when visitors come to the lab he likes to show them his collection of curiosities, which includes a desiccated octopus.—Elizabeth Kolbert
Elizabeth Kolbert2
: drained of emotional or intellectual vigor or vitality
Singer's utilitarianism is so dry and desiccated that it drains the drama from philosophy.—George F. Will
George F. WillExamples of desiccated in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The meager pinches of ginger and garlic that went into the pot came desiccated, in jars.
—Ligaya Mishan, New York Times, 22 May 2025
The scene in question came from King's Quest III, where our hero Gwydion must acquire some exceptionally desiccated acorns to advance the plot.
—ArsTechnica, 17 May 2025
Sure enough, Margarito worked open the bag’s knot and found, amid desiccated coca leaves, a pair of ancient cigarettes rolled in centuries-old paper—an echo of the previous night’s ceremony.
—Sam Kean, The Atlantic, 26 May 2025
Their best wins in that stretch were beating the 44-win Detroit Pistons on the road and dancing on the desiccated corpse of the Dallas Mavericks in the Play-In Tournament.
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 2 May 2025
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Ligaya Mishan, New York Times, 22 May 2025
The scene in question came from King's Quest III, where our hero Gwydion must acquire some exceptionally desiccated acorns to advance the plot.
—ArsTechnica, 17 May 2025
Sure enough, Margarito worked open the bag’s knot and found, amid desiccated coca leaves, a pair of ancient cigarettes rolled in centuries-old paper—an echo of the previous night’s ceremony.
—Sam Kean, The Atlantic, 26 May 2025
Their best wins in that stretch were beating the 44-win Detroit Pistons on the road and dancing on the desiccated corpse of the Dallas Mavericks in the Play-In Tournament.
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for desiccated
Cite this Entry
“Desiccated.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/desiccated. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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