- dry
- dry1 W2S2 [draı] adj comparative drier superlative driest▬▬▬▬▬▬▬1¦(not wet)¦2¦(weather)¦3 dry mouth/skin/lips/hair etc4 run/go dry5¦(humour)¦6¦(boring)¦7 dry cough8 dry wine/sherry etc9¦(without alcohol)¦10¦(voice)¦11 dry bread/toast12¦(thirsty)¦13 not a dry eye in the house▬▬▬▬▬▬▬[: Old English; Origin: dryge]1.) ¦(NOT WET)¦without water or liquid inside or on the surface≠ ↑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 sth dry▪ Jean rubbed her hair dry.▪ The path is dry as a bone (=very dry) .→↑bone dry2.) ¦(WEATHER)¦having very little rain or ↑moisture≠ ↑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 etcwithout enough of the liquid or oil that is normally in your mouth, skin etc→↑parched▪ His heart was pounding and his mouth was dry.▪ Mary has dry, sensitive skin.▪ a shampoo for dry hair▪ She licked her dry lips.4.) run/go dryif a lake, river etc runs dry, all the water gradually disappears, especially because there has been no rain▪ The river ran dry last summer.5.) ¦(HUMOUR)¦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.) ¦(BORING)¦boring, very serious, and without humour▪ In schools, science is often presented in a dry and uninteresting manner.▪ a dry debate on policies7.) dry cougha cough which does not produce any ↑phlegm8.) dry wine/sherry etcwine etc that is not sweet▪ a glass of dry white wine9.) ¦(WITHOUT ALCOHOL)¦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.)¦(VOICE)¦showing no emotion when you speak▪ 'Good evening gentlemen,' he said, in a dry voice.11.) dry bread/toastbread etc eaten on its own without anything such as butter or ↑jam spread on it12.) ¦(THIRSTY)¦ informalthirsty13.) not a dry eye in the houseused to say that everyone was crying because something was very sad - often used humorously>dryness n [U]dry 2dry2 W3S2 past tense and past participle dried present participle drying third person singular driesv [I and T]▬▬▬▬▬▬▬12Phrasal verbsdry offdry outdry up▬▬▬▬▬▬▬1.) to 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 BrEto 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?dry off phr vto become dry or to make something dry, especially on the surface▪ We swam in the sea, then stretched out on the sand to dry off.dry sth<=>off▪ He dried the camera off, hoping it would still work.dry out phr v1.) to become completely dry or to make something completely dry, especially after it has been very wet▪ In summer, water the plants regularly and never let the soil dry out.dry sth<=>out▪ The kitchen was flooded and it took ages to dry it out.2.) dry (sb) outto stop drinking alcohol after you have become an ↑alcoholic, or to make someone do this▪ He's been drying out at a private clinic.▪ The hospital dried Michael out and sent him home.dry up phr v1.) ¦(COME TO AN END)¦if a supply of something dries up, it comes to an end and no more is available▪ Foreign investment may dry up.▪ The work soon dried up.2.) ¦(RIVER/LAKE ETC)¦if something such as a river dries up, the water in it disappears▪ Across central and west Texas, waterholes and wells have dried up.dry sth<=>up▪ Taking too much water for household use is drying up the river.3.) ¦(STOP TALKING)¦if someone dries up, they stop talking▪ 'It was -' She dried up again.▪ Everyone became embarrassed and conversation dried up.4.) ¦(PLATES/DISHES ETC)¦BrE to rub plates, dishes etc dry with a cloth after they have been washeddry sth<=>up▪ I'll just dry up these mugs and we can have a coffee.
Dictionary of contemporary English. 2013.