Desiccated means extremely dried out, with all or almost all moisture removed. When something becomes desiccated, it shrivels up and becomes brittle or powdery because the water inside it is gone.

Scientists use desiccation (the process of becoming desiccated) to preserve things. Desiccated coconut, found in many recipes, is coconut meat that's been shredded and dried until it becomes light and flaky. Museums might display desiccated insects or plants that were carefully dried to last for years. In hot deserts, the intense sun and lack of rain can leave desiccated plant remains that crumble at the slightest touch.

You might read about desiccated mummies in ancient Egypt, where the dry climate and special preservation techniques removed moisture from bodies. A biologist studying drought might describe desiccated soil that has cracked into hard chunks, or desiccated leaves that have lost their green color and turned brown and crisp.

When used figuratively, desiccated can describe something that feels lifeless or boring, drained of all interest or vitality, like a desiccated lecture that puts everyone to sleep.