'Freeze-drying' definitions:
Definition of 'freeze-drying'
(from WordNet)
noun
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 [syn: freeze-drying, lyophilization, lyophilisation]
Definition of 'Freeze-drying'
From: GCIDE
- Freeze-dry \Freeze"-dry`\ (fr[=e]z"-dr[imac]`), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Freeze-dried; p. pr. & vb. n. Freeze-drying.] to remove the moisture from (e.g. food) by first freezing and then subjecting to a high vacuum; -- used as a mild method for drying foods or chemicals while causing little decomposition, in contrast to heat-drying.
- Note: This is a relatively gently drying process used to preserve food or sensitive biological materials. For biochemical materials, the term {lyophilize} is often used. [PJC]