Lyophilization
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 Synonym of freeze-drying. countable, uncountable
"After dialysis, the enzyme can be obtained as a dry powder by lyophilization. Lyophilization The process of vacuum-drying substances from the frozen state. The water is sublimated into a trap at low temperature or is absorbed by drying agents. Verb: lyophilize."
- 2 a method of drying food or blood plasma or pharmaceuticals or tissue without destroying their physical structure; material is frozen and then warmed in a vacuum so that the ice sublimes wordnet
Example
More examples"After dialysis, the enzyme can be obtained as a dry powder by lyophilization. Lyophilization The process of vacuum-drying substances from the frozen state. The water is sublimated into a trap at low temperature or is absorbed by drying agents. Verb: lyophilize."
Etymology
First use appears c. 1894 in the US. lyo- + philos + -ization (alternatively analyzed as lyophilize + -ation), from Ancient Greek λύω (lúō, “to loosen, to dissolve”) + φίλος (phílos, “beloved”) + -ίζειν (-ízein) + Latin -ātiō, due to the dried product being able to rapidly reabsorb the solvent and restore the original substance, hence “lyophil” (solvent-loving). Popularized from 1960 by Louis R. Rey. Cognates exist in other European languages by means of the same construction.
Related phrases
More for "lyophilization"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.