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• dry dock
  dry dock

  noun

  a structure able to contain a ship and to be drained or lifted so as to leave the ship free of water with all parts of the hull accessible for repairs, painting, etc.
• dry-dock
  dry-dock

  verb (used with object)

  to place (a ship) in a dry dock.

dry dock

¹ American  

noun

1. a structure able to contain a ship and to be drained or lifted so as to leave the ship free of water with all parts of the hull accessible for repairs, painting, etc.

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dry-dock ² American  

[drahy-dok] / ˈdraɪˌdɒk /

verb (used with object)

1. to place (a ship) in a dry dock.

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verb (used without object)

1. (of a ship) to go into a dry dock.

dry dock British  

noun

1. a basin-like structure that is large enough to admit a ship and that can be pumped dry for work on the ship's bottom

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verb

1. to put (a ship) into a dry dock, or (of a ship) to go into a dry dock

Etymology

Origin of dry dock¹

First recorded in 1620–30

Origin of dry-dock²

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dry dock dry-dock

German investigators trying to establish who sabotaged Nord Stream discovered the Andromeda in dry dock on the island of Rügen.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026

The marine logistics group may take about three years instead of four years to deliver a S$198 million vessel, and its new dry dock operation could ramp up faster than anticipated.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 16, 2026

HMS Unicorn, Scotland's oldest ship, has received a £796,000 grant toward the cost of moving it to a new dry dock.

From BBC ● Jan. 24, 2025

Uranga said the next step is to lift the boat, which sank after the fire, and tow it to dry dock where a more thorough investigation can be undertaken.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2024

Then, the once-pride of the British Navy was placed on a huge barge for the short journey into the harbor and to the dry dock.

From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler

The same yard won the contract to carry out the first dry-dock maintenance of HMS Queen Elizabeth in 2019.

From BBC ● May 16, 2022

Next week the Seattle-Bremerton route will shrink to just one boat so the ferry Kaleetan can undergo dry-dock repairs.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 1, 2021

So we dry-dock them and put them in bins and kiddie pools.

From Slate ● Feb. 19, 2021

No dry-dock scenes of giant starships set to stirring theme music.

From New York Times ● Jan. 23, 2020

In the meantime the Columbia could be put in a dry-dock and given the overhauling that she needed.

From At the Fall of Port Arthur Or, A Young American in the Japanese Navy by Edward Stratemeyer