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dryer

American  
[drahy-er] / ˈdraɪ ər /

noun

  1. Also a machine, appliance, or apparatus for removing moisture, as by forced ventilation or heat.

    hair dryer; clothes dryer.

  2. drier.


dryer 1 British  
/ ˈdraɪə /

noun

  1. a person or thing that dries

  2. an apparatus for removing moisture by forced draught, heating, or centrifuging

  3. any of certain chemicals added to oils such as linseed oil to accelerate their drying when used as bases in paints, etc

"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

dryer 2 British  
/ ˈdraɪə /

adjective

  1. a variant spelling of drier 1

"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

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.

Prosecutors published photos showing one of Liaw’s deputies with an assistant who they said used a hair dryer to remove and affix labels and serial-number stickers to shipping boxes.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 21, 2026

For example, photos included in the indictment show the use of a hair dryer to move serial numbers to boxes of nonworking, replicated dummy servers in an attempt to mislead the U.S.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 21, 2026

And Chagger has personal experience of tumble dryer fires.

From BBC • Jan. 15, 2026

The rising mortality rate tracks warming and drying linked to climate change, and the study found the fastest rise in hotter, dryer regions.

From Barron's • Jan. 6, 2026

I hear the sound of the dryer stopping, like a little sigh, and I glance up at the arrow above the elevator.

From "Liar & Spy" by Rebecca Stead