Meaning

verb to dry (blood, serum, or tissue) by freezing in a high vacuum

originFirst use appears c. 1894 in the US. From Ancient Greek λύω (lúō, “to loosen, to dissolve”) + φίλος (phílos, “beloved”) + -ίζειν (-ízein); equivalent to lyo- + -phile + -ize. Compare hydrophilic (“water-absorbing”, literally “water-loving”) for use of -phile for “absorbing”. See lyophilization for more. Cognates exist in other European languages by means of the same construction.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0