The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Desiccant \De*sic"cant\, a. [L. desiccans, p. pr. of desiccare. See Desiccate.] Drying; desiccative. -- n. (Med.) A medicine or application for drying up a sore. --Wiseman. [1913 Webster]WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
desiccant n 1: a substance that promotes drying (e.g., calcium oxide absorbs water and is used to remove moisture) [syn: desiccant, drying agent, drier, siccative]