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dry - Meaning and Examples

Meaning of 'dry' (Webster Dictionary)

1 . Dry [ a.]
- To make dry; to free from water, or from moisture of any kind, and by any means; to exsiccate; as, to dry the eyes; to dry one's tears; the wind dries the earth; to dry a wet cloth; to dry hay.
2 . Dry [ superl.]
- Free from moisture; having little humidity or none; arid; not wet or moist; deficient in the natural or normal supply of moisture, as rain or fluid of any kind; -- said especially: (a) Of the weather: Free from rain or mist.
- Of vegetable matter: Free from juices or sap; not succulent; not green; as, dry wood or hay.
- Of animals: Not giving milk; as, the cow is dry.
- Of persons: Thirsty; needing drink.
- Of the eyes: Not shedding tears.
- Of certain morbid conditions, in which there is entire or comparative absence of moisture; as, dry gangrene; dry catarrh.
- Destitute of that which interests or amuses; barren; unembellished; jejune; plain.
- Characterized by a quality somewhat severe, grave, or hard; hence, sharp; keen; shrewd; quaint; as, a dry tone or manner; dry wit.
- Exhibiting a sharp, frigid preciseness of execution, or the want of a delicate contour in form, and of easy transition in coloring.
3 . Dry [ v. i.]
- To grow dry; to become free from wetness, moisture, or juice; as, the road dries rapidly.
- To evaporate wholly; to be exhaled; -- said of moisture, or a liquid; -- sometimes with up; as, the stream dries, or dries up.
- To shrivel or wither; to lose vitality.

Meaning of 'dry' (Princeton's WordNet)

1 . dry [ v]
Meaning (1):
- remove the moisture from and make dry
Example in sentence:
  • dry clothes;
  • dry hair
Meaning (2):
- become dry or drier
Example in sentence:
  • The laundry dries in the sun
3 . dry [ a]
Meaning (3):
- (of liquor) having a low residual sugar content because of decomposition of sugar during fermentation
Example in sentence:
  • a dry Bordeaux;
  • a dry white burgundy
Meaning (4):
- free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; or no longer wet
Example in sentence:
  • a dry climate;
  • a dry river bed;
  • dry clothes;
  • dry land;
  • dry splintery boards;
  • the paint is dry
Meaning (5):
- without a mucous or watery discharge
Example in sentence:
  • a dry cough;
  • that rare thing in the wintertime; a small child with a dry nose
Meaning (6):
- not producing milk
Example in sentence:
  • a dry cow
Meaning (7):
- opposed to or prohibiting the production and sale of alcoholic beverages
Example in sentence:
  • a dry state;
  • the dry vote led by preachers and bootleggers
Meaning (8):
- lacking moisture or volatile components
Example in sentence:
  • dry paint
9 . dry [ s]
Meaning (9):
- lacking interest or stimulation; dull and lifeless
Example in sentence:
  • a dry book;
  • a dry lecture filled with trivial details;
  • dull and juiceless as only book knowledge can be when it is unrelated to...life
Meaning (10):
- lacking warmth or emotional involvement
Example in sentence:
  • a dry critique;
  • a dry greeting;
  • a dry reading of the lines
Meaning (11):
- unproductive especially of the expected results
Example in sentence:
  • a dry run;
  • a mind dry of new ideas
Meaning (12):
- having a large proportion of strong liquor
Example in sentence:
  • a very dry martini is almost straight gin
Meaning (13):
- humorously sarcastic or mocking
Example in sentence:
  • an ironic novel;
  • an ironic remark often conveys an intended meaning obliquely;
  • an ironical smile;
  • dry humor;
  • with a wry Scottish wit
Meaning (14):
- having no adornment or coloration
Example in sentence:
  • dry facts;
  • rattled off the facts in a dry mechanical manner
Meaning (15):
- (of food) eaten without a spread or sauce or other garnish
Example in sentence:
  • dry meat;
  • dry toast
Meaning (16):
- not shedding tears
Example in sentence:
  • dry sobs;
  • with dry eyes
Meaning (17):
- used of solid substances in contrast with liquid ones
Example in sentence:
  • dry weight
Meaning (18):
- practicing complete abstinence from alcoholic beverages
Example in sentence:
  • he's been dry for ten years;
  • no thank you; I happen to be teetotal

Nearby Words:

dry dock dry goods dry nurse dry-beat dry-boned dry-eyed dry-fisted dry-rub dry-rubbed dry-rubbing

See 'dry' also in:

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