English Reference

Word

dryer

Phoneticsdry·er

US/ˈdɹaɪɝ/

UK/dɹˈaɪɐ/

Definitions

01clothes dryer

A2

n. a machine used to dry clothes after they have been washed.

n. a household appliance, typically a tumble dryer, designed to remove moisture from textiles through heat and rotation.

“The towels are still damp, so I will put them in the dryer for ten minutes.”

“Modern high-efficiency dryers utilize moisture sensors to automatically terminate the cycle once the laundry has reached the desired level of dryness.”

Synonyms

tumble dryer

Antonyms

washing machine

02hair dryer

B1

n. a small electrical device that blows hot air to dry your hair.

n. an electromechanical device that blows ambient or hot air over damp hair to accelerate the evaporation of water.

“She used a dryer to style her hair before going to the party.”

“The salon invested in professional-grade dryers that operate at lower decibel levels while maintaining high airflow for faster styling.”

Synonyms

blow-dryer

04drying agent

C2 · Technical

n. a substance or chemical added to things like paint to help them dry faster.

n. a substance, often a chemical catalyst or desiccant, used to promote the removal of water or the hardening of coatings like varnish.

“The artist added a special dryer to the oil paint so it would harden overnight.”

“In industrial coating applications, a metallic dryer is often incorporated into the resin to facilitate oxidative crosslinking and reduce curing times.”

Technical · Formal

Synonyms

desiccantsiccative

Etymology

From Middle English driere, dreyere (“one who dries”), equivalent to dry + -er (agent noun suffix).

From dry + -er (comparative suffix).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry

Level
A2 · Elementary
Frequency
Frequent
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/dryer

English Reference