dry well

American  

noun

1. a drainage pit lined with loose stonework for the leaching of liquid wastes.

2. absorbing well.

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Etymology

Origin of dry well

First recorded in 1760–70

Example Sentences

He added: "I will not go quietly. I will not be cancelled for convenience. I was tried by media and hung out to dry well before the facts were established."

From BBC • Jul. 8, 2025

A Bend, Oregon, man who went missing on Christmas Day was found alive and in good condition in a dry well inside a gated storage unit facility, local police said.

From Washington Times • Dec. 29, 2023

California has recorded 1,287 dry well reports across the state this year, a 50 percent increase since 2021.

From Salon • Oct. 26, 2022

For around three days, Rayan has been stuck more than 100 feet underground in a village in northern Morocco, after he fell into a dry well and became stuck between its narrow walls.

From Washington Post • Feb. 4, 2022

Other times, when he felt as if he were sitting at the bottom of a dry well, looking up at the sky, it didn’t work at all.

From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner