tumble-dry

American

[tuhm-buhl-drahy] / ˈtʌm bəlˈdraɪ /

verb (used with object)

tumble-dried, tumble-drying

to dry (washing) in a clothes drier in which articles are rotated vertically through heated air.

tumble-dry British

verb

(tr) to dry (laundry) in a tumble dryer

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of tumble-dry

First recorded in 1965–70

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.

After washing, tumble dry them on a high setting and store in a clean place.

From BBC • Jul. 14, 2020

We also ran all of the pillows or their detachable pillowcases through a washing machine as instructed to see how well each stood up to a spin cycle and tumble dry.

From Slate • Jul. 31, 2018

"Do not tumble dry your uniform" or make any alterations that change the "look and feel" of it, warns the manual.

From The Guardian • May 30, 2012

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023