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desalination

desalination

5 5.6
Removing salt from seawater to make it safe to drink or to water crops
  • noun
  • /ˌdiːsælɪˈneɪʃən/
  • Specialized
translation icon : desalinización
  • Some Western critics claim Libya would have done better to invest in less expensive seaside desalination plants.
  • desalination plant
  • desalination facility
  • seawater desalination

Examples

  • A combination of need and cost is making desalination of saltwater more attractive in the United States.

    Academic text (2004)
  • Many countries are investing in desalination to secure a reliable supply of freshwater.

  • We need to get to a sustainable future, and desalination helps us get there.

    Academic text (2004)
  • "Half of the operating budget of a desalination facility is spent on power."

    Academic text (2004)
  • In the British Virgin Islands, desalination provides 100 percent of the fresh water.

    Academic text (2004)
  • The desalination plant filtered water from the bay so that people could drink it and use it for the chicken industry.

  • And reverse osmosis is the overwhelming choice when it comes to desalination methods.

    Academic text (2004)
  • Brackish water desalination is their best choice for providing a long-term water supply," Hightower said.

    Academic text (2004)
  • The Brazos River Authority in Waco, Texas, also expects to begin work on a seawater desalination facility soon.

    Academic text (2003)
  • The desalination plant produces clean drinking water by removing salt from seawater.

Synonyms

desalinization
vsdesalination
  • Specialized
3 6.3

The process of removing salt from sea water so people can drink or farm with it

is the same process but a different spelling or regional variant
distillation
vsdesalination
  • Specialized
1 5.9

Heating a liquid to make steam and cooling the steam to get pure liquid

uses direct salt removal from seawater rather than general boiling purification
demineralization
vsdesalination
  • Specialized
1 7.5

The removal of minerals and salts from water or other liquids

focuses on salt removal from seawater rather than removing all minerals
deionization
vsdesalination
  • Specialized
1 7.1

A process that removes ions from water to make it pure

aims to remove salts and minerals from seawater rather than only ions
desalting
vsdesalination
  • Specialized
3.7

Removing salt from water so it is safe to drink

focuses specifically on treating seawater and brackish water for drinking or irrigation
distillment
vsdesalination
  • Archaic
8.5

To purify a liquid by boiling it and collecting the steam that turns back into liquid

is a general purification method not specifically aimed at removing salt

Antonyms

salinization
  • Specialized
1 7.4

Salt building up in soil or water that makes it hard for plants to grow

How Salt-Free

desalination
  • Specialized
5 5.6
seawater
  • Specialized
41 1.0

Surface Forms

desalination singular
desalinations plural

Morphology

desalination = desalinate (semi-transparent) = de + salin + ate + ion

The noun is a standard and easily interpretable action noun formed from the verb 'desalinate'.

Etymology

The word desalination comes from the parts de- 'remove', sal 'salt', and -ation 'a process'. It means removing salt from water, which is why desalination plants turn seawater into drinking water.