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Desiccant
A substance or material that absorbs moisture from the air, used to keep products dry.
noun💡
Imagine This
A young kid is looking at his mother doing the laundry with the dryer but only sees it as a large white can. The mother puts the wet clothes into the can, and surprisingly, after a while, the clothes are all dry! The kid thinks to himself, “I think the machine is a drying agent. It makes the clothes dry. Yes! But that’s a can. Oh, I understand now… The can dries the clothes.”
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Sounds Like
DES-ih-kant
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Looks Like
A small canister or packet labeled 'Desiccant' with white or colorless crystals (e.g., silica gel).
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Remember This
Desiccants, such as silica gel or clay, are used to keep goods dry in packaging. The related verb is desiccate and the noun form is desiccation.
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Other Forms
desiccateverb
desiccationnoun
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Connect With
absorbent, moisture absorber, drying agent, silica gel, humidity control, desiccation
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Note
Common mistakes: confuse desiccant with 'dehydrant' or with 'desiccate' (verb). A desiccant absorbs moisture, not the act of drying itself.
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Study Deeper
Examples
- Silica gel is a common desiccant used in packaging to keep foods dry.
- The medicine bottle contained a small desiccant to prevent moisture damage during shipping.
Synonyms
moisture absorberdrying agentabsorbentdehydrant
Antonyms
humidifiermoisture source
Etymology
From Latin desiccans, desiccant- 'drying up', from desiccare 'to dry up' (de- + siccare 'to dry').
Mnemonic
DESICCANT: DESERTS DRAIN MOISTURE. Remember that a desiccant is the thing that makes things dry, like a desert that soaks up moisture.
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