adj.
(drier, driest)
- free from moisture or liquid.
▸not yielding water, oil, or milk:
a dry well.
▸without grease or other moisturizer or lubricator:
dry hair.
- (of information, writing, etc.) dully factual.
▸unemotional or undemonstrative.
- (of humour) subtle and expressed in a matter-of-fact way.
- prohibiting the sale or consumption of alcoholic drink.
▸no longer drinking alcohol.
- (of wine) not sweet.
v.
(dries, drying, dried)
- become or make dry.
▸
[
usu. as adj. dried]
preserve by evaporating the moisture from:
dried milk.
-
(dry up)
(of a supply or flow) decrease and stop.
- theatrical slang forget one's lines.
▸
(dry up)
informal cease talking.
-
(dry out)
informal overcome alcoholism.
n.
(pl. dries or drys)
-
(the dry)
chiefly Austral. the dry season.
▸a tract of waterless country.
- Brit. a Conservative politician (especially in the 1980s) in favour of strict monetarist policies.
- US a person in favour of the prohibition of alcohol.
Phrase
- come up dry
N. Amer. informal be unsuccessful.
Derivative
Etymology
OE drȳge (adj.), drȳgan (v.), of Gmc origin.