dry
UK[draɪ]US[draɪ]
adj
Having little or no water, liquid, or moisture; not wet.
adj
Without rain; arid.
v
To make something dry; to remove moisture.
v
To become dry.
Etymology
The word 'dry' originates from the Old English 'drȳge', which meant 'free from water or liquid'. This term is traced back to the Proto-Germanic 'draugiz', conveying a sense of dryness or drought. Its deeper ancestry lies in the Proto-Indo-European root 'dʰrewgʰ-', meaning 'to fail' or 'to run dry', a concept that elegantly connects the physical state of dryness to the idea of depletion or absence. Over centuries, this core meaning has remained remarkably stable, evolving from describing parched land to encompassing any object or condition lacking moisture.
Analysis
The word 'dry' is a simplex word of Old English origin. It functions as a complete lexical unit.
Examples
The clothes hung on the line until they were completely dry.
They traveled through a vast, dry desert for weeks.
Please dry your hands with this towel.