adjective
1.
free from moisture or excess moisture; not moist; not wet: a dry towel; dry air.
2.
having or characterized by little or no rain: a dry climate; the dry season.
3.
characterized by absence, deficiency, or failure of natural or ordinary moisture.
4.
not under, in, or on water: It was good to be on dry land.
5.
not now containing or yielding water or other liquid; depleted or empty of liquid: The well is dry.
6.
not yielding milk: a dry cow.
7.
free from tears: dry eyes.
8.
drained or evaporated away: a dry river.
9.
desiring drink; thirsty: He was so dry he could hardly speak.
10.
causing thirst: dry work.
11.
served or eaten without butter, jam, etc.: dry toast.
12.
(of cooked food) lacking enough moisture or juice to be satisfying or succulent.
13.
(of bread and bakery products) stale.
14.
of or pertaining to nonliquid substances or commodities: dry measure; dry provisions.
15.
(of wines) not sweet.
16.
a.
made with dry vermouth: a dry Manhattan.
b.
made with relatively little dry vermouth: a dry martini.
17.
characterized by or favoring prohibition of the manufacture and sale of alcoholic liquors for use in beverages: a dry state.
18.
(of British biscuits) not sweet.
19.
plain; bald; unadorned: dry facts.
20.
dull; uninteresting: a dry subject.
21.
expressed in a straight-faced, matter-of-fact way: dry humor.
22.
indifferent; cold; unemotional: a dry answer.
23.
unproductive: The greatest of artists have dry years.
24.
(of lumber) fully seasoned.
25.
Building Trades.
a.
(of masonry construction) built without fresh mortar or cement.
b.
(of a wall, ceiling, etc., in an interior) finished without the use of fresh plaster.
26.
27.
Art. hard and formal in outline, or lacking mellowness and warmth in color.
verb (used with object)
28.
to make dry; free from moisture: to dry the dishes.
00:10
Dry
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is lollygag. Does it mean:
| to run away hurriedly; flee. |
| to spend time idly; loaf. |
verb (used without object)
29.
to become dry; lose moisture.
noun
Verb phrases 30.
a prohibitionist.
31.
a dry place, area, or region.
32.
dry out,
a.
to make or become completely dry.
b.
to undergo or cause to undergo detoxification from consumption of excessive amounts of alcohol.
33.
Idioms dry up,
a.
to make or become completely dry.
b.
to cease to exist; evaporate.
c.
Informal. to stop talking.
d.
(in acting) to forget one's lines or part.
34.
not dry behind the ears, immature; unsophisticated: Adult responsibilities were forced on him, although he was still not dry behind the ears.
Origin:
before 900; Middle English drie, Old English drȳge; akin to Dutch droog, German trocken; see drought
before 900; Middle English drie, Old English drȳge; akin to Dutch droog, German trocken; see drought
Related forms
dry·a·ble, adjective
dry·ly, adverb
dry·ness, noun
o·ver·dry, adjective
o·ver·dry·ly, adverb
o·ver·dry·ness, noun
pre·dry, verb (used with object), pre·dried, pre·dry·ing.
re·dry, verb, re·dried, re·dry·ing.
ul·tra·dry, adjective
un·der·dry, verb (used with object), un·der·dried, un·der·dry·ing.
un·dry, adjective
un·dry·a·ble, adjective
Synonyms
20. tedious, barren, boring, tiresome, jejune. 29. dehydrate.
20. tedious, barren, boring, tiresome, jejune. 29. dehydrate.
Antonyms
1. wet. 20. interesting.
1. wet. 20. interesting.
Synonym Study
1. Dry, arid both mean without moisture. Dry is the general word indicating absence of water or freedom from moisture: a dry well; dry clothes. Arid suggests great or intense dryness in a region or climate, especially such as results in bareness or in barrenness: arid tracts of desert. 28. See evaporate.
1. Dry, arid both mean without moisture. Dry is the general word indicating absence of water or freedom from moisture: a dry well; dry clothes. Arid suggests great or intense dryness in a region or climate, especially such as results in bareness or in barrenness: arid tracts of desert. 28. See evaporate.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To dry
Collins
World English Dictionary
dry (draɪ) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —adj , drier, driest, dryer, dryest | |
| 1. | lacking moisture; not damp or wet |
| 2. | having little or no rainfall |
| 3. | not in or under water: dry land |
| 4. | having the water drained away or evaporated: a dry river |
| 5. | not providing milk: a dry cow |
| 6. | (of the eyes) free from tears |
| 7. | a. informal in need of a drink; thirsty |
| b. causing thirst: dry work | |
| 8. | eaten without butter, jam, etc: dry toast |
| 9. | (of a wine, cider, etc) not sweet |
| 10. | pathol not accompanied by or producing a mucous or watery discharge: a dry cough |
| 11. | consisting of solid as opposed to liquid substances or commodities |
| 12. | without adornment; plain: dry facts |
| 13. | lacking interest or stimulation: a dry book |
| 14. | lacking warmth or emotion; cold: a dry greeting |
| 15. | (of wit or humour) shrewd and keen in an impersonal, sarcastic, or laconic way |
| 16. | opposed to or prohibiting the sale of alcoholic liquor for human consumption: a dry area |
| 17. | (NZ) (of a ewe) without a lamb after the mating season |
| 18. | electronics (of a soldered electrical joint) imperfect because the solder has not adhered to the metal, thus reducing conductance |
| —vb (when intr, | |
| 19. | to make or become dry or free from moisture |
| 20. | (tr) to preserve (meat, vegetables, fruit, etc) by removing the moisture |
| —n , drier, driest, dryer, dryest, dries, drying, dried, drys, dries | |
| 21. | informal (Brit) Compare wet a Conservative politician who is considered to be a hard-liner |
| 22. | informal (Austral) the dry the dry season |
| 23. | (US), (Canadian) an informal word for prohibitionist |
| [Old English drӯge; related to Old High German truckan, Old Norse draugr dry wood] | |
| 'dryable | |
| —adj | |
| 'dryness | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
dry
O.E. dryge (adj.), drygan (v.), from P.Gmc. *draugiz. Of humor, 1540s; of places prohibiting alcoholic drink, 1870 (but dry feast, one at which no liquor is served, is from late 15c.). Related: Dried; drily. Of the two noun spellings, drier is the older (1520s), while dryer (1874) was first used of machines.
Dry goods (1708) were those measured out in dry, not liquid, measure. Dry land (that not under the sea) is from early 13c. Dry out in the drug addiction sense is from 1967. Dry up "stop talking" is 1853.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Slang Dictionary
dry definition
|
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases
dry
In addition to the idioms beginning with dry, also see cut and dried; hang out to dry; high and dry; keep one's powder dry; well's run dry.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Example sentences
Although your prints may appear dry to the touch, moisture remains in the print and will need time to completely dry.
They use a catalyst in the ink that helps it dry without heat lamps.
Add more flour if the dough is too sticky or more water if too dry.
They wash their belongings and put them out to dry on the river's bank.
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