dry (dr?)adj. dri·er (dr???r), dri·est (dr???st) or dry·er or dry·est 1. Free from liquid or moisture: changed to dry clothes.2. a. Having or characterized by little or no rain: a dry climate.b. Marked by the absence of natural or normal moisture: a dry month.3. a. Not under water: dry land.b. Having all the water or liquid drained away, evaporated, or exhausted: a dry river.4. a. No longer yielding liquid, especially milk: a dry cow.b. Not producing a liquid substance that is normally produced: dry heaves.c. Not shedding tears: dry sobs.d. Needing moisture or drink: a dry mouth.5. No longer wet: The paint is dry.6. Of or relating to solid rather than liquid substances or commodities: dry weight.7. Not sweet as a result of the decomposition of sugar during fermentation. Used of wines.8. Having a large proportion of strong liquor to other ingredients: a dry martini.9. Eaten or served without butter, gravy, or other garnish: dry toast; dry meat.10. Having no adornment or coloration; plain: the dry facts.11. Devoid of bias or personal concern: presented a dry critique.12. a. Lacking tenderness, warmth, or involvement; severe: The actor gave a dry reading of the lines.b. Matter-of-fact or indifferent in manner: rattled off the facts in a dry mechanical tone.13. Wearisome; dull: a dry lecture filled with trivial details.14. Humorous in an understated or unemotional way: dry wit.15. Prohibiting or opposed to the sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages: a dry county.16. Unproductive of the expected results: a mind dry of new ideas.17. Constructed without mortar or cement: dry masonry.v. dried (dr?d), dry·ing, dries (dr?z) v.tr.1. To remove the moisture from; make dry: laundry dried by the sun.2. To preserve (meat or other foods, for example) by extracting the moisture.v.intr. To become dry: The sheets dried quickly in the sun.n. pl. drys Informal A prohibitionist.Phrasal Verbs: dry out Informal To undergo a cure for alcoholism. dry up1. To make or become unproductive, especially to do so gradually.2. Informal To stop talking. Used especially in the imperative.[Middle English drie, from Old English dr?ge.]dry?ly, dri?ly adv.dry?ness n.Synonyms: dry, dehydrate, desiccate, parch These verbs mean to remove the moisture from: drying the dishes; added water to eggs that were dehydrated; a factory where coconut meat is shredded and desiccated; land parched by the sun. See Also Synonyms at sour.Antonym: moistenAmerican Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.dry (dra?) adj, drier, driest, dryer or dryest1. lacking moisture; not damp or wet2. (Physical Geography) having little or no rainfall3. not in or under water: dry land. 4. having the water drained away or evaporated: a dry river. 5. (Zoology) not providing milk: a dry cow. 6. (of the eyes) free from tears7. a. informal in need of a drink; thirstyb. causing thirst: dry work. 8. (Cookery) eaten without butter, jam, etc: dry toast. 9. (Brewing) (of a wine, cider, etc) not sweet10. (Pathology) pathol not accompanied by or producing a mucous or watery discharge: a dry cough. 11. consisting of solid as opposed to liquid substances or commodities12. 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 way16. opposed to or prohibiting the sale of alcoholic liquor for human consumption: a dry area. 17. (Agriculture) NZ (of a ewe) without a lamb after the mating season18. (Electrical Engineering) electronics (of a soldered electrical joint) imperfect because the solder has not adhered to the metal, thus reducing conductancevb, dries, drying or dried19. (when: intr, often foll by off) to make or become dry or free from moisture20. (Cookery) (tr) to preserve (meat, vegetables, fruit, etc) by removing the moisturen, pl drys or dries21. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) informal Brit a Conservative politician who is considered to be a hard-liner. Compare wet1022. (Physical Geography) the dry informal Austral the dry season23. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) US and Canadian an informal word for prohibitionist[Old English dr?ge; related to Old High German truckan, Old Norse draugr dry wood] ?dryable adj ?dryness nCollins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014dry (dra?) adj. dri?er, dri?est, adj. 1. free from moisture or excess moisture; not moist; not wet. 2. having or characterized by little or no rain: the dry season. 3. characterized by absence, deficiency, or failure of natural or ordinary moisture. 4. not under, in, or on water: 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. 10. causing thirst: dry work. 11. served or eaten without butter, jam, etc.: dry toast. 12. (of bread, rolls, etc.) stale. 13. of or pertaining to nonliquid substances or commodities: dry measure; dry provisions. 14. dehydrated. 15. (esp. of wines) not sweet. 16. (of a cocktail) made with dry vermouth, esp. a relatively small amount. 17. characterized by or favoring prohibition of the manufacture and sale of alcoholic liquors for use in beverages: a dry state. 18. free from the use of alcoholic drink; sober. 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. 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. v.t. 26. to make dry; free from moisture: to dry the dishes. v.i. 27. to become dry; lose moisture. 28. dry out, to undergo detoxification after drug or alcohol abuse. 29. dry up, a. to cease to exist; evaporate. b. Informal. to stop talking. c. (in acting) to forget one’s lines or part. n. 30. a prohibitionist. 31. a dry area. [before 900; Middle English; Old English dr?ge; akin to Middle Dutch dr?ghe, Old High German trockan; compare drought] dry?a?ble, adj. dry?ly, adv. dry?ness, n. syn: dry, arid both mean without moisture. dry is the general word indicating absence of water or freedom from moisture, which may be favorable or unfavorable: a dry well; a dry bath towel. arid suggests intense dryness in a region or climate, resulting in bareness or in barrenness: arid tracts of desert. Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.dryPast participle: driedGerund: dryingImperativePresentPreteritePresent ContinuousPresent PerfectPast ContinuousPast PerfectFutureFuture PerfectFuture ContinuousPresent Perfect ContinuousFuture Perfect ContinuousPast Perfect ContinuousConditionalPast ConditionalImperativedrydryPresentI dryyou dryhe/she/it drieswe dryyou drythey dryPreteriteI driedyou driedhe/she/it driedwe driedyou driedthey driedPresent ContinuousI am dryingyou are dryinghe/she/it is dryingwe are dryingyou are dryingthey are dryingPresent PerfectI have driedyou have driedhe/she/it has driedwe have driedyou have driedthey have driedPast ContinuousI was dryingyou were dryinghe/she/it was dryingwe were dryingyou were dryingthey were dryingPast PerfectI had driedyou had driedhe/she/it had driedwe had driedyou had driedthey had driedFutureI will dryyou will dryhe/she/it will drywe will dryyou will drythey will dryFuture PerfectI will have driedyou will have driedhe/she/it will have driedwe will have driedyou will have driedthey will have driedFuture ContinuousI will be dryingyou will be dryinghe/she/it will be dryingwe will be dryingyou will be dryingthey will be dryingPresent Perfect ContinuousI have been dryingyou have been dryinghe/she/it has been dryingwe have been dryingyou have been dryingthey have been dryingFuture Perfect ContinuousI will have been dryingyou will have been dryinghe/she/it will have been dryingwe will have been dryingyou will have been dryingthey will have been dryingPast Perfect ContinuousI had been dryingyou had been dryinghe/she/it had been dryingwe had been dryingyou had been dryingthey had been dryingConditionalI would dryyou would dryhe/she/it would drywe would dryyou would drythey would dryPast ConditionalI would have driedyou would have driedhe/she/it would have driedwe would have driedyou would have driedthey would have driedCollins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011dryUsed to distinguish measures of dry (solid) volume as opposed to liquid (fluid) volume.Dictionary of Unfamiliar Words by Diagram Group Copyright © 2008 by Diagram Visual Information Limited