From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishdrydry1 /draɪ/ ●●● S2 W2 adjective (comparative drier, superlative driest) 1 not wetDRY without water or liquid inside or on the surface OPP wet I need to change into some dry clothes. Make sure that the surface is clean and dry before you start to paint. You should store disks in a cool, dry place.shake/rub/wipe etc something dry Jean rubbed her hair dry. The path is dry as a bone (=very dry). → bone dry2 weatherDN having very little rain or moisture OPP wet → arid The weather was hot and dry. Eastern areas should stay dry tomorrow. the dry season These plants do not grow well in dry conditions (=when there is not much rain). a prolonged dry spell (=period)3 → dry mouth/skin/lips/hair etc4 → run/go dry5 humourJOKE someone with a dry sense of humour says funny and clever things while seeming to be serious He had a delightfully dry sense of humour.6 boringBORING boring, very serious, and without humour In schools, science is often presented in a dry and uninteresting manner. a dry debate on policies► see thesaurus at boring7 → dry cough8 → dry wine/sherry etc9 without alcoholSCLDFD not drinking alcohol, or not allowing any alcohol to be sold Paula had been dry for a year before she started drinking again. Kuwait’s a dry country.10 voiceEMOTIONAL showing no emotion when you speak ‘Good evening gentlemen, ’ he said, in a dry voice. 11 → dry bread/toast12 thirsty informal thirsty13 → not a dry eye in the house —dryness noun [uncountable] → drip-dry, dry rot, → home and dry at home2(6), → leave somebody high and dry at high2(5), → drylyCOLLOCATIONSnounsdry grassThere had been no rain and the grass was very dry.dry clothesI had no dry clothes to change into.dry land (=not the sea)It was good to get off the ship onto dry land again.dry ingredients (=the things in a recipe that are not liquid)Add the eggs and milk to the dry ingredients.verbskeep dryWe managed to keep dry inside an old farm building.get dry (=become dry)Come inside and get dry.shake/rub/wipe etc something dryHe wiped his hands dry with a handkerchief.towel something dry (=use a towel to dry something)Towel your hair dry before using a hairdryer.phrasesdry as a bone/bone dry (=completely dry)These plants need some water – they’re dry as a bone. THESAURUSdry having very little moisture, or no longer wetHow do plants survive in hot dry conditions?My mouth feels dry.The clothes should be dry.The ground was bone dry (=completely dry).parched completely dry – used about land, or about someone’s lips, throat, skin etcThe earth was so parched that there were huge cracks in it.parched lipsarid extremely dry because of lack or rain and therefore difficult for growing cropsthe arid landscape of the Danakil desertan arid mountain region
Examples from the Corpus
dry• The weather tomorrow will be sunny and dry.• My other problem, Holmes, is that the subject matter can really be a little dry.• Once on the far side the pipers played while the men danced reels until they were dry.• Stock tanks normally brimming with water have gone dry.• Can you check to see if the laundry's dry?• I forgot to water the plants and the soil has gone bone dry.• In Arizona, the air is often extremely dry.• The wood was dry and it burned easily.• Outlook for tomorrow and Sunday: Mainly dry and mild, with sunny intervals after clearance of any early mist or fog.• Scientists can be so dry and unexciting.• His voice was dry as he told of his time as a prisoner of war.• When the paint is completely dry, carefully peel off the masking tape.• Tunisia has a hot, dry climate.• Conway is in a dry county.• The vehicle was found upside down in a dry creek bed.• My throat was so dry I could hardly speak.• By that time, the dry months of deep summer had brought cotton growth to a near standstill.• Skin may be alternately hot and dry or perspiring.• Keep the apples stored in a cool, dry place.• During the dry season, many of the swamps turn to hard-baked mud.• dry sherry• It was a very dry summer.• If you reduce the humidity so the walls are bone dry, then the apartment will be too dry.• Southern areas should stay dry until the early evening.• The dry weather will continue for several days• We drank a dry white wine with our fish.• a dry winter• Once the glue is dry you should place the photograph in the correct position, securing it with masking tape.dry clothes• The first thing though was to get Nigel into some clean, dry clothes.• They had both changed into dry clothes.• A change into dry clothes before gearing up and a quick brew.• The dry clothes had given her strength.• There were almost no dry clothes left.dry spell• Already, he says, it is worse than the drought of 1956, once considered the definitive Texas dry spell.• The noonday sun beat down fiercely; dusty air carried the stink of rotting garlic after a prolonged dry spell.• Until I met Donna my social life was a dry spell.• Keep fuchsia well watered during prolonged dry spells in summer and feed regularly with a potash-rich liquid fertiliser.• The dry spell is a real turn-around from recent rainy winters.• Arizona is in the grip of one of its most severe dry spells of the past century.• Showers are expected over the whole country - but the south-east may get a dry spell on Saturday and Sunday.• That is the kind of dry spell some strikers not too distant from Ewood Park would sell their grandmother for.drydry2 ●●● S2 W3 verb (dried, drying, dries) [intransitive, transitive] 1 DRYto make something dry, or to become dry Mrs Brown hung the washing on the line to dry. He was drying his hair with a towel. Mary dried her hands. Leave the first coat of paint to dry before adding another. She stood up and dried her eyes (=wiped away her tears).dry yourself He quickly dried himself on the thin towel.2 (also dry up British English) to rub plates, dishes etc dry with a cloth after they have been washed You wash and I’ll dry. Shall I dry up these glasses? → cut and dried, driedGrammarDry belongs to a group of verbs where the same noun can be the subject of the verb or its object. • You can say: I’m drying the washing on the line. In this sentence, ‘the washing’ is the object of dry.• You can also say: The washing is drying on the line. In this sentence, ‘the washing’ is the subject of dry. → dry off → dry out → dry up→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
dry• Leave the dishes on the draining board to dry.• This should only take a few minutes to dry.• After you press the two parts together, let the glue dry for at least an hour.• As Polly rinsed and dried her hands she was aware of being studied.• I like to hang the sheets out to dry. It gives them a fresh smell.• But Liz revealed her hair was naturally curly and that she prefers to dry it straight.• Could you wait ten minutes while I dry my hair?• It'll only take a few minutes to dry my hair.• We built a fire to get ourselves warm and dry our clothes.• Leave to dry out, supporting the door with jars until hardened into position.• These can be planted in the ground after the soil dries out.• After this, the bread is removed from the oven but it is still drying out.• Wet clothes dry quickly on a sunny day.• New York Head Start programs also were squeaking by, but funding could dry up by the end of January.dry yourself• In the boat she found an oilcloth to dry herself.• He sat on the edge of the gazebo, wrung out the sock and dried himself as best he could.• Emerging from beneath the spray of the shower, she dried herself briskly before dressing with impatient fingers.• I dry myself gently, I almost feel better.• He dried himself, opened the door of the large mahogany wardrobe and took out his clothes.• Ladle thinks that drying yourself out may be an effective antiparasite strategy, a way of purging the parasites from your body.• By the time she'd finished drying herself, the footsteps had ceased.• The towel on which I tried to dry myself was invariably moist.From Longman Business Dictionarydrydry /draɪ/ verb (past tense and past participle dried) → dry up→ See Verb tableOrigin dry1 Old English dryge 