dry
dry
(draɪ )Word forms: comparative drier , comparative dryer , superlative driest , 3rd person singular present tense dries , present participle drying , past tense, past participle dried
1. adjective
If something is dry, there is no water or moisture on it or in it.
Clean the metal with a soft dry cloth.
Pat it dry with a soft towel.
Once the paint is dry, apply a coat of the red ochre emulsion paint.
The path was dry and slithery from the drought.
dryness uncountable noun
...the parched dryness of the air.
2. verb
When something dries or when you dry it, it becomes dry.
The washing might dry outside today, the sun's shining. [VERB]
Leave your hair to dry naturally whenever possible. [VERB]
Wash and dry the lettuce. [VERB noun]
Liz laughed again, got up from the water and began to dry herself. [VERB noun]
3. verb
When you dry the dishes after a meal, you wipe the water off the plates, cups, knives, pans, and other things when they have been washed, using a cloth.
Mrs. Madrigal began drying dishes. [VERB noun]
[Also VERB]Dry up means the same as dry.
[British]He got up and stood beside Julie, drying up the dishes while she washed. [VERB PARTICLE noun]
[Also VERB PARTICLE]4. adjective
If you say that your skin or hair is dry, you mean that it is less oily than, or not as soft as, normal.
Nothing looks worse than dry, cracked lips.
Dry hair can be damaged by washing it too frequently.
My skin's been getting a little dry recently.
dryness uncountable noun
Dryness of the skin can also be caused by living in centrally heated homes and offices.
5. adjective
6. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
It was one of the driest and dustiest places in Africa.
...a hot, dry climate where the sun is shining all the time.
dryness uncountable noun
He was advised to spend time in the warmth and dryness of Italy.
7. singular noun [usually in NOUN]
In the dry means in a place or at a time that is not damp, wet, or rainy.
[mainly British]Such cars, however, do grip the road well, even in the dry.
8. adjective
If a river, lake, or well is dry, it is empty of water, usually because of hot weather and lack of rain.
The aquifer which had once fed the wells was pronounced dry.
The single-engine plane landed at a dry lake in western Arizona.
In the end the Volga's waters will run dry.
9. adjective [usually verb-link ADJECTIVE]
If an oil well is dry, it is no longer producing any oil.
To harvest oil and gas profitably from the North Sea, it must focus on the exploitation of small reserves as the big wells run dry.
10. graded adjective [verb-link ADJECTIVE]
If you are dry, you need to drink something.
[informal]She was suddenly thirsty and dry.
11. adjective [usually verb-link ADJECTIVE]
If your mouth or throat is dry, it has little or no saliva in it, and so feels very unpleasant, perhaps because you are tense or ill.
His mouth was dry, he needed a drink.
My throat was dry. I was at a loss for words.
dryness uncountable noun
Symptoms included frequent dryness in the mouth.
13. adjective
14. adjective
If a country, state, or city is dry, it has laws or rules which forbid anyone to drink, sell, or buy alcoholic drink.
[informal]Gujurat has been a totally dry state for the past thirty years.
16. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
[approval]
Fulton has retained his dry humour.
Mr Brooke is renowned for his dry wit.
drily adverb [ADVERB with verb]
'That is surprising.'—'Hardly,' I said drily.
...a frank and drily witty woman.
dryness uncountable noun
Her writing has a wry dryness.
17. graded adjective
If you describe a voice as dry, you mean that it is cold or dull, and does not express any emotions.
[written]When he crept back to his desk, he heard the dry voice of Father Laurence.
drily adverb [ADVERB with verb]
'Possible,' I said drily, 'but not likely'.
18. adjective
If you describe something such as a book, play, or activity as dry, you mean that it is dull and uninteresting.
[disapproval]...dry, academic phrases.
A lot of the work was very dry and boring in Westminster.
19. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
21. high and dry
22. home and dry
