Dry vs. Sweet

Free from or lacking moisture.

Example: ‘This towel's dry. Could you wet it and cover the chicken so it doesn't go dry as it cooks?’;

Unable to produce a liquid, as water, (Petrochemistry) oil, or (farming) milk.

Example: ‘This well is as dry as that cow.’;

(masonry) Built without or lacking mortar.

(chemistry) Anhydrous: free from or lacking water in any state, regardless of the presence of other liquids.

Example: ‘Dry alcohol is 200 proof.’;

(figurative) Athirst, eager.

Free from or lacking alcohol or alcoholic beverages.

Example: ‘Of course it's a dry house. He was an alcoholic but he's been dry for almost a year now.’;

(law) Describing an area where sales of alcoholic or strong alcoholic beverages are banned.

Example: ‘You'll have to drive out of this dry county to find any liquor.’;

Free from or lacking embellishment or sweetness, particularly:

Low in sugar; lacking sugar; unsweetened.

Example: ‘Proper martinis are made with London dry gin and dry vermouth.’;

(humor) Amusing without showing amusement.

Example: ‘Steven Wright has a Norm Macdonald has a dry Oscar Wilde had a dry wit.’;

Lacking interest, boring.

Example: ‘A dry lecture may require the professor to bring a watergun in order to keep the students' attention.’;

(fine arts) Exhibiting precise execution lacking delicate contours or soft transitions of color.

Involving computations rather than work with biological or chemical matter.

(of a sound recording) Free from applied audio effects.

Without a usual complement or consummation; impotently. improve this

Example: ‘never dry fire a bow; dry humping her girlfriend; making a dry run’;

(Christianity) Of a mass, service, or rite: involving neither consecration nor communion.

The process by which something is dried.

Example: ‘This towel is still damp: I think it needs another dry.’;

(US) A prohibitionist (of alcoholic beverages).

The dry season.

(Australia) An area of waterless country.

A radical or hard-line Conservative; especially, one who supported the policies of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s.

(intransitive) To lose moisture.

Example: ‘The clothes dried on the line.’;

(transitive) To remove moisture from.

Example: ‘Devin dried her eyes with a handkerchief.’;

To be thirsty.

Free from moisture; having little humidity or none; arid; not wet or moist; deficient in the natural or normal supply of moisture, as rain or fluid of any kind; - said especially: (a) Of the weather: Free from rain or mist.

Example: ‘The weather, we agreed, was too dry for the season.’;

Of vegetable matter: Free from juices or sap; not succulent; not green; as, dry wood or hay.

Example: ‘Give the dry fool drink.’;

Destitute of that which interests or amuses; barren; unembellished; jejune; plain.

Example: ‘These epistles will become less dry, more susceptible of ornament.’;

Of the eyes: Not shedding tears.

Example: ‘Not a dry eye was to be seen in the assembly.’;

Characterized by a quality somewhat severe, grave, or hard; hence, sharp; keen; shrewd; quaint; as, a dry tone or manner; dry wit.

Example: ‘He was rather a dry, shrewd kind of body.’;

Of certain morbid conditions, in which there is entire or comparative absence of moisture; as, dry gangrene; dry catarrh.

Exhibiting a sharp, frigid preciseness of execution, or the want of a delicate contour in form, and of easy transition in coloring.

Example: ‘The scientific man must keep his feelings under stern control, lest they obtrude into his researches, and color the dry light in which alone science desires to see its objects.’;

To make dry; to free from water, or from moisture of any kind, and by any means; to exsiccate; as, to dry the eyes; to dry one's tears; the wind dries the earth; to dry a wet cloth; to dry hay.

Example: ‘Their honorable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.’; ‘The water of the sea, which formerly covered it, was in time exhaled and dried up by the sun.’; ‘Their sources of revenue were dried up.’;

To grow dry; to become free from wetness, moisture, or juice; as, the road dries rapidly.

To evaporate wholly; to be exhaled; - said of moisture, or a liquid; - sometimes with up; as, the stream dries, or dries up.

To shrivel or wither; to lose vitality.

Example: ‘And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him.’;

a reformer who opposes the use of intoxicating beverages

remove the moisture from and make dry;

Example: ‘dry clothes’; ‘dry hair’;

become dry or drier;

Example: ‘The laundry dries in the sun’;

free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; or no longer wet;

Example: ‘dry land’; ‘dry clothes’; ‘a dry climate’; ‘dry splintery boards’; ‘a dry river bed’; ‘the paint is dry’;

humorously sarcastic or mocking;

Example: ‘dry humor’; ‘an ironic remark often conveys an intended meaning obliquely’; ‘an ironic novel’; ‘an ironical smile’; ‘with a wry Scottish wit’;

opposed to or prohibiting the production and sale of alcoholic beverages;

Example: ‘the dry vote led by preachers and bootleggers’; ‘a dry state’;

not producing milk;

Example: ‘a dry cow’;

(of wines) not sweet because of decomposition of sugar during fermentation;

Example: ‘a dry white burgundy’;

without a mucous or watery discharge;

Example: ‘a dry cough’; ‘that rare thing in the wintertime; a small child with a dry nose’;

not shedding tears;

Example: ‘dry sobs’; ‘with dry eyes’;

lacking interest or stimulation; dull and lifeless;

Example: ‘a dry book’; ‘a dry lecture filled with trivial details’; ‘dull and juiceless as only book knowledge can be when it is unrelated to...life’;

used of solid substances in contrast with liquid ones;

Example: ‘dry weight’;

unproductive especially of the expected results;

Example: ‘a dry run’; ‘a mind dry of new ideas’;

having no adornment or coloration;

Example: ‘dry facts’; ‘rattled off the facts in a dry mechanical manner’;

(of food) eaten without a spread or sauce or other garnish;

Example: ‘dry toast’; ‘dry meat’;

suffering from fluid deprivation;

Example: ‘his mouth was dry’;

having a large proportion of strong liquor;

Example: ‘a very dry martini is almost straight gin’;

lacking warmth or emotional involvement;

Example: ‘a dry greeting’; ‘a dry reading of the lines’; ‘a dry critique’;

practicing complete abstinence from alcoholic beverages;

Example: ‘he's been dry for ten years’; ‘no thank you; I happen to be teetotal’;

free from moisture or liquid; not wet or moist

Example: ‘he wiped the table dry with his shirt’; ‘the jacket kept me warm and dry’;

(of paint, ink, etc.) having lost all wetness or moisture over a period of time

Example: ‘wait until the paint is dry’;

for use without liquid

Example: ‘the conversion of dry latrines into the flushing type’;

with little or no rainfall or humidity

Example: ‘the West Coast has had two dry winters in a row’;

(of a river, lake, or stream) empty of water as a result of lack of rainfall

Example: ‘the river is always dry at this time of year’;

(of a source) not yielding a supply of water or oil

Example: ‘a dry well’;

thirsty or thirst-making

Example: ‘working in the hot sun is making me dry’;

(of a cow or other domestic animal) no longer producing milk

Example: ‘the rye has been strip-grazed by dry cows’; ‘the cows went dry in the wintertime’;

without grease or other moisturizer or lubricator

Example: ‘cream conditioners for dry hair’;

(of bread or toast) without butter or other spreads

Example: ‘only dry bread and water’;

(of information, writing, etc.) dully factual

Example: ‘the dry facts of the matter’;

unemotional, undemonstrative, or impassive

Example: ‘it transformed him from a dry administrator into the people's hero’;

(of a joke or sense of humour) subtle and expressed in a matter-of-fact way

Example: ‘he delighted his friends with a dry, covert sense of humour’;

prohibiting the sale or consumption of alcoholic drink

Example: ‘the country is strictly dry, in accordance with Islamic law’;

(of a person) no longer addicted to or drinking alcohol

Example: ‘I heard much talk about how sobriety was more than staying straight or dry’;

(of an alcoholic drink) not sweet

Example: ‘a dry, medium-bodied red wine’;

relating to political ‘dries’; rigidly monetarist.

become dry

Example: ‘waiting for the paint to dry’; ‘pools are left as the rivers dry up’; ‘do not let the soil dry out’;

cause to become dry

Example: ‘they had washed and dried their hair’;

wipe tears from (the eyes)

Example: ‘she dried her eyes and blew her nose’;

wipe dishes dry with a cloth after they have been washed

Example: ‘‘I'll wash, Sara, you dry’’;

preserve by allowing or encouraging evaporation of moisture from

Example: ‘dried flowers’;

forget one's lines

Example: ‘a colleague of mine once dried in the middle of a scene’;

the process or an instance of drying.

a dry or covered place.

the dry season

Example: ‘the grass was yellowing and the dry had started’;

a tract of waterless country

Example: ‘the forty-mile dry’;

a Conservative politician (especially in the 1980s) in favour of strict monetarist policies.

a person in favour of the prohibition of alcohol

Example: ‘evangelical dries had seen to it that the nearest bottle of whiskey was miles away’;

Having a pleasant taste, especially one relating to the basic taste sensation induced by sugar.

Example: ‘a sweet apple’;

Having a taste of sugar.

Containing a sweetening ingredient.

(wine) Retaining a portion of sugar.

Example: ‘Sweet wines are better dessert wines.’;

Not having a salty taste.

Example: ‘sweet butter’;

Having a pleasant smell.

Example: ‘a sweet scent’;

Not decaying, fermented, rancid, sour, spoiled, or stale.

Example: ‘sweet milk’;

Having a pleasant sound.

Example: ‘a sweet tune’;

Having a pleasing disposition.

Example: ‘a sweet child’;

Having a helpful disposition.

Example: ‘It was sweet of him to help out.’;

(mineralogy) Free from excessive unwanted substances like acid or sulphur.

Example: ‘sweet soil’; ‘sweet crude oil’;

(informal) Very pleasing; agreeable.

Example: ‘The new Lexus was a sweet birthday gift.’;

}} Romantically fixated, enamored (followed by with), fond (followed by of).

Example: ‘The attraction was mutual and instant; they were sweet on one another from first sight.’;

(obsolete) Fresh; not salt or brackish.

Example: ‘sweet water’;

Pleasing to the eye; beautiful; mild and attractive; fair.

Example: ‘a sweet face; a sweet colour or complexion’;

In a sweet manner.

(uncountable) The basic taste sensation induced by sugar.

A confection made from sugar, or high in sugar content; a candy.

A food eaten for dessert.

Example: ‘Can we see the sweet menu, please?’;

sweetheart; darling.

(obsolete) That which is sweet or pleasant in odour; a perfume.

(obsolete) Sweetness, delight; something pleasant to the mind or senses.

Having an agreeable taste or flavor such as that of sugar; saccharine; - opposed to sour and bitter; as, a sweet beverage; sweet fruits; sweet oranges.

Pleasing to the smell; fragrant; redolent; balmy; as, a sweet rose; sweet odor; sweet incense.

Example: ‘The breath of these flowers is sweet to me.’;

Pleasing to the ear; soft; melodious; harmonious; as, the sweet notes of a flute or an organ; sweet music; a sweet voice; a sweet singer.

Example: ‘To make his English sweet upon his tongue.’; ‘A voice sweet, tremulous, but powerful.’;

Pleasing to the eye; beautiful; mild and attractive; fair; as, a sweet face; a sweet color or complexion.

Example: ‘Sweet interchangeOf hill and valley, rivers, woods, and plains.’;

Fresh; not salt or brackish; as, sweet water.

Not changed from a sound or wholesome state. Specifically: (a) Not sour; as, sweet milk or bread. (b) Not state; not putrescent or putrid; not rancid; as, sweet butter; sweet meat or fish.

Plaesing to the mind; mild; gentle; calm; amiable; winning; presuasive; as, sweet manners.

Example: ‘Canst thou bind the sweet influence of Pleiades?’; ‘Mildness and sweet reasonableness is the one established rule of Christian working.’;

That which is sweet to the taste; - used chiefly in the plural.

That which is sweet or pleasant in odor; a perfume.

That which is pleasing or grateful to the mind; as, the sweets of domestic life.

Example: ‘A little bitter mingled in our cup leaves no relish of the sweet.’;

One who is dear to another; a darling; - a term of endearment.

Sweetly.

To sweeten.

English phonetician; one of the founders of modern phonetics (1845-1912)

a dish served as the last course of a meal

a food rich in sugar

the taste experience when sugar dissolves in the mouth

the property of containing sugar

having a pleasant taste (as of sugar)

having a sweet nature befitting an angel or cherub;

Example: ‘an angelic smile’; ‘a cherubic face’; ‘looking so seraphic when he slept’; ‘a sweet disposition’;

pleasing to the ear;

Example: ‘the dulcet tones of the cello’;

one of the four basic taste sensations; very pleasant; like the taste of sugar or honey

pleasing to the senses;

Example: ‘the sweet song of the lark’; ‘the sweet face of a child’;

pleasing to the mind or feeling;

Example: ‘sweet revenge’;

having a natural fragrance;

Example: ‘odoriferous spices’; ‘the odorous air of the orchard’; ‘the perfumed air of June’; ‘scented flowers’;

(used of wines) having a sweet taste

not soured or preserved;

Example: ‘sweet milk’;

with sweetening added

not having a salty taste;

Example: ‘sweet water’;

in an affectionate or loving manner (`sweet' is sometimes a poetic or informal variant of `sweetly');

Example: ‘Susan Hayward plays the wife sharply and sweetly’; ‘how sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank’; ‘talking sweet to each other’;

having the pleasant taste characteristic of sugar or honey; not salt, sour, or bitter

Example: ‘a cup of hot sweet tea’;

(of air, water, or food) fresh, pure, and untainted

Example: ‘lungfuls of the clean, sweet air’;

smelling pleasant like flowers or perfume; fragrant

Example: ‘a bunch of sweet-scented flowers’;

pleasing in general; delightful

Example: ‘it was the sweet life he had always craved’;

highly satisfying or gratifying

Example: ‘some sweet, short-lived revenge’;

used in expressions of assent or approval

Example: ‘Yeah, I'd like to come to the party. Sweet!’;

working, moving, or done smoothly or easily

Example: ‘the sweet handling of this motorcycle’;

(of sound) melodious or harmonious

Example: ‘the sweet notes of the flute’;

denoting music, especially jazz, played at a steady tempo without improvisation.

(of a person or action) pleasant and kind or thoughtful

Example: ‘it was sweet of you to come’; ‘a very sweet nurse came along’;

charming and endearing

Example: ‘a sweet little cat’;

infatuated or in love with

Example: ‘she seemed quite sweet on him’;

dear; beloved

Example: ‘my sweet love’;

used as a respectful form of address

Example: ‘go to thy rest, sweet sir’;

used for emphasis in various phrases and exclamations

Example: ‘What had happened? Sweet nothing’;

a small shaped piece of confectionery made with sugar

Example: ‘a bag of sweets’;

a sweet dish forming a course of a meal; a pudding or dessert.

used as an affectionate form of address

Example: ‘hello, my sweet’;

the sweet part or element of something

Example: ‘you have had the bitter, now comes the sweet’;

the pleasures or delights found in something

Example: ‘the sweets of office’;