dry cleaning
Americannoun
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the cleaning of garments, fabrics, draperies, etc., with any of various chemicals rather than water.
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garments for cleaning in this way.
Other Word Forms
Derived 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.
Watching their dog, dropping off their dry cleaning or picking up a package are all forms of care.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 19, 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
The federal government is phasing out the use of PCE in dry cleaning, with a full phaseout by 2034.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 31, 2025
I think she even dated the editor for a while, but he ended up marrying the girl who did his dry cleaning.
From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
