dry powder

American  

[drahy pau-der] / ˈdraɪ ˈpaʊ dər /

noun

1. cash reserves, liquid assets, or easily liquidated assets such as readily saleable stocks and bonds, held by a corporation or an individual in order to cover current or future obligations, make new purchases, or take advantage of unforeseen opportunities.

   Stick with small investments for now, but keep some dry powder on hand in case we start to see this industry grow stronger.

2. powder.

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Etymology

Origin of dry powder

First recorded in 2000–05 dry powder for def. 1

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dry powder

“There is very little crowding risk embedded in the current sector leadership, and little dry powder being unwound against it,” they say.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 9, 2026

The dry powder is more umami-heavy with notes of garlic and shiitake mushrooms and spicy, courtesy of gochugaru, or Korean red chili pepper.

From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2026

Private marks remain elevated, and Roper Technologies will continue to lean into share repurchases over platform acquisitions; however, management wants to leave enough dry powder for when the market for mergers-and-acquisitions unlocks.

From Barron's ● Jun. 19, 2026

Blackstone BX -0.03%decrease; red down pointing triangle has raised $13.1 billion in its largest Asia private-equity fund, joining the number of firms gathering dry powder to invest in the world’s fastest-growing region.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 2, 2026

Then, with a jar of water, he returned to his train, and swiftly swept up the dry powder and moistened it a little, making a rough slow match of it.

From The Pirate Woman by Aylward Edward Dingle

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