transitive verb. 1 : to cause to take up or combine with water or the elements of water. 2 : to supply with ample fluid or moisture hydrates and softens the skin. intransitive verb. : to become a hydrate.

What does hydration mean?

1 : the act or process of combining or treating with water: as. a : the introduction of additional fluid into the body hydration sometimes helps to reduce the concentration of toxic substances in the tissues.

Is a hydrate just water?

In chemistry, a hydrate is a substance that contains water or its constituent elements. The chemical state of the water varies widely between different classes of hydrates, some of which were so labeled before their chemical structure was understood.