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dry cleaner

American  

noun

dry cleaners plural
  1. a business that dry-cleans garments, draperies, etc.

  2. a person who owns or operates such an establishment.

  3. a liquid solvent used in dry cleaning.


Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of dry cleaner

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

A nearby dry cleaner said the price of plastic garment covers had more than doubled, while a cafe owner noted a 50-percent increase in the cost of plastic cups.

From Barron's Jun. 28, 2026

A woman who runs a local dry cleaner said most of her business became patching up uniforms.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 12, 2026

This leaves smaller companies — say, a restaurant or a dry cleaner.

From MarketWatch Apr. 18, 2026

A dry cleaner has said businesses just 10 miles away can charge a quarter of the price for services due to differing energy prices between regions.

From BBC Mar. 31, 2025

“Come meet my grandbabies!” he would call out with pride to Clantons barber or grocer or dry cleaner.

From "While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement" by Carolyn Maull McKinstry

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