dry powder
Americannoun
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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.
Etymology
Origin of dry powder
First recorded in 2000–05 dry powder for def. 1
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.
That dry powder is a drag on returns right now, but a crisis that gives Abel an opportunity to deploy it will come as surely as night follows day.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026
Total dry powder, or unspent capital, stood at $213.3 billion at the end of the recent quarter.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026
“This is a market you want to be watching, carefully, with dry powder in hand and discipline at the ready.”
From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026
When the going gets tough, the tough start readying their dry powder for deployment.
From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026
It, is found in the condition of a dry powder, of a brownish yellow color, not unlike in appearance to Scotch snuff; with a pungent strong smell of ammonia, distinguishing it from any other substance.
From Guano A Treatise of Practical Information for Farmers by Robinson, Solon
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.
