drip-dry

American  

[drip-drahy, drip-drahy, -drahy] / ˈdrɪpˌdraɪ, ˈdrɪpˈdraɪ, -ˌdraɪ /

adjective

1. wash-and-wear.

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verb (used without object)

drip-dried, drip-drying

1. (of a cloth item) to dry into a desired form and shape when hung dripping wet after washing.

verb (used with object)

drip-dried, drip-drying

1. to hang (a cloth item) after washing while it is dripping wet and allow it to dry, especially in anticipation of its assuming its desired form and shape during the drying process.

noun

PLURAL

drip-dries

1. a garment or other cloth item that can be washed and drip-dried.

drip-dry British  

adjective

1. designating clothing or a fabric that will dry relatively free of creases if hung up when wet

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verb

1. to dry or become dry thus

Etymology

Origin of drip-dry

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

Now she opted for jeans, “drip-dry” T-shirts and army boots.

From Washington Post

Instead, do a separate socks-and-underwear laundry load and invest in an octopus drying contraption to drip-dry them and prepare to pair with no stragglers.

From The Guardian

When I wrote, “You’ve got your nuclear boots / and your drip-dry glove,” I envisioned the boots and gloves as a cool ’50s fashion statement.

From The Wall Street Journal

I worked there, standing in a drip-dry white coat with a picture of a little Italian man and “Mr REAlly Good” written on the pocket.

From The Guardian

It’s easy for them to drip-dry: Senegalese sheep look more like goats than like the fluffy, woolly breeds common to the West.

From New York Times