dry powder

American  

[drahy pou-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

Example Sentences

He noted that the firm ended December with $156 billion in dry powder, or capital available to invest, after raising a record $113.2 billion last year, including $35.9 billion in the fourth quarter alone.

From The Wall Street Journal

Blackstone held $198.3 billion in dry powder, or money available for new investments, as this year began.

From The Wall Street Journal

Dry, powder snow is the easiest type of snow to move around because it doesn't stick together.

From BBC

Private-equity investors have been sitting on mounds of “dry powder,” or funds committed by investors that haven’t yet been deployed.

From The Wall Street Journal

A projected increase in M&A activity for 2026 is supported by lower interest rates, economic growth, and $2.2 trillion in private equity ‘dry powder’.

From Barron's