dry run

noun

1. a rehearsal or practice exercise.

2. Military.,  practice in firing arms without using live ammunition.

dry run

noun

1. military practice in weapon firing, a drill, or a manoeuvre without using live ammunition

2. informal,  a trial or practice, esp in simulated conditions; rehearsal

Other Word Forms

• dry-run adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of dry run¹

An Americanism dating back to 1940–45

Idioms and Phrases

A trial exercise or rehearsal, as in Regard this as a dry run for tonight's ceremony. This term, using dry in the sense of “unproductive,” was at first employed mainly in the military for simulated bombings in which no bombs were dropped. [c. 1940]

Related Words

• dress rehearsal 
• tryout