dry-cleaning
UK[ˌdraɪ ˈkliːnɪŋ]US[ˌdraɪ ˈkliːnɪŋ]
n
The process of cleaning clothes and fabrics using chemical solvents instead of water.
n
Clothes that have been cleaned by this process.
Morpheme Breakdown
dry
cleaning
dry
free from moisture
cleaning
clean
Etymology
The compound 'dry-cleaning' is a modern English formation that descriptively labels an industrial process. The adjective 'dry' originates from the Proto-Germanic draugiz, meaning "dry, hard," and is used here to contrast the method with traditional 'wet' laundering. The element 'cleaning' derives from the Old English 'clǣne,' meaning "free from dirt or impurity," which has Proto-Germanic roots. The term's logic is entirely transparent, combining the core concept of the action ('cleaning') with its defining characteristic ('dry'), to name a specific 19th-century technological development for cleaning delicate fabrics without water.
Analysis
Structure: dry + cleaning
- dry (Old English 'drȳge', meaning 'free from moisture'). Functional role: Adjective modifying the process, indicating the absence of water.
- cleaning (from Old English 'clǣne', meaning 'clean'). Functional role: Gerund (verbal noun) indicating the action of making clean.
Examples
I need to pick up my suit from the dry-cleaning.
Some delicate fabrics like wool or silk require dry-cleaning.
The smell of chemicals is common in a dry-cleaning establishment.