- present participle of dry.
drying
Americanadjective
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causing dryness.
a drying breeze.
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designed to become or capable of becoming dry and hard on exposure to air.
noun
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the action or process of making or becoming dry
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Also called (not now in technical usage): seasoning. the processing of timber until it has a moisture content suitable for the purposes for which it is to be used
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of drying
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at dry, -ing 2
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.
In a standard triple-wash system, cut lettuce moves through a series of flumes filled with treated water before spin drying.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
France has been battered by three heatwaves since May as part of increasingly common extreme weather episodes linked to climate change, causing excess deaths, drying up rivers and fuelling wildfires.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
Over the next few days, the continued hot and dry weather, coupled with strengthening winds and lower humidity, is expected to accelerate the drying of vegetation, increasing the risk for fires.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
However, those additives remain behind after drying and can change the behavior of the printed material, which is undesirable for many advanced applications.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026
Danny washed his plate and set it on the drying rack.
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
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.
