# desiccant

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈdɛsɪkənt/ · frequency rank #90,359

## Definitions
1. A substance (such as calcium oxide or silica gel) that is used as a drying agent because of its high affinity for water.

## Etymology
From Latin dēsiccans, active present participle of dēsiccō, from dē- (“of; from, away from”) + siccō (“dry up”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/desiccant