freeze-dry

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. 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 ]