drying

[drahy-ing]

adjective

1. causing dryness.

   a drying breeze.

2. designed to become or capable of becoming dry and hard on exposure to air.

drying

/ ˈdraɪɪŋ /

noun

1. the action or process of making or becoming dry

2. Also called (not now in technical usage): seasoning. the processing of timber until it has a moisture content suitable for the purposes for which it is to be used

adjective

1. causing dryness

   a drying wind

Other Word Forms

• nondrying adjective
• undrying adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of drying¹

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; dry, -ing ²

Example Sentences

The Hedgehog is a drying and cleaning beast.

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This connection was severed, drying the Red Sea into a barren salt desert.

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“Four and a half hours that woman was working in my hair — washing it, drying it, cutting it.”

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The farms are on rich peat soil that used to be underwater but is now slowly drying out.

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The habitats where they are found are some of the most diverse in Britain but are at risk from drying out and the impacts of "agricultural intensification", according to Natural Resources Wales.

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