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dry cleaning

American  

noun

  1. the cleaning of garments, fabrics, draperies, etc., with any of various chemicals rather than water.

  2. garments for cleaning in this way.


Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of dry cleaning

First recorded in 1810–20

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:

Yes, the assistants would handle Wintour’s dry cleaning.

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 30, 2026

Most Silicon Valley companies at the time lavished their top engineering talent with free lunches, on-site dry cleaning, nap pods and other luxury amenities.

From MarketWatch Apr. 4, 2026

Across the street, Hajji watched from his empty dry cleaning shop as the road cleared.

From Barron's Mar. 7, 2026

Prices for personal services, such as dry cleaning and haircuts, rose 1.6%.

From BBC Feb. 13, 2026

“No, I picked up the dry cleaning and went to the post office.”

From "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green

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