dryer

dryer — noun

1. a piece of equipment that uses hot or warm air to make something dry, such as a

1.nounA2
Definition

a piece of equipment that uses hot or warm air to make something dry, such as a hair dryer for drying hair or a hand dryer for drying hands in a public bathroom.

Example

Camila used a hair dryer on her wet hair before leaving for school.

collocation: hair dryer

The hand dryer in the restroom stopped working, so William dried his hands with a paper towel.

collocation: hand dryer

Common collocations
  • hair dryer
  • hand dryer
  • travel dryer
  • powerful dryer
  • wall-mounted dryer
Synonyms
  • blow-dryer

    more specific term for a hair dryer; less common in British English

  • hand dryer

    specific type found in public restrooms

  • hair dryer

    the most common type of dryer in this sense

Grammar Patterns

a/the + dryer

dryer + noun (compound)

Usage Note

In everyday conversation, speakers usually name the specific kind of dryer (hair dryer, hand dryer) rather than using 'dryer' alone for this sense. 'Dryer' by itself most often refers to a clothes dryer.

Common Mistakes

I need to buy a dryer for my hair.
I need to buy a hair dryer.
When referring to the appliance for drying hair, always say 'hair dryer' or 'blow-dryer', not just 'dryer'.

2. an electric household appliance that takes moisture out of freshly washed laundr

2.nounA2
Definition

an electric household appliance that takes moisture out of freshly washed laundry by turning the load inside a heated drum.

Example

The clothes dryer at the laundromat takes about forty minutes for a full load.

collocation: clothes dryer

Tanvi hung her sweaters on a line because the heat from the dryer can shrink wool.

usage note: not suitable for some fabrics

Common collocations
  • clothes dryer
  • tumble dryer
  • lint filter
  • dryer sheet
  • dryer setting
  • spin cycle
  • full load
  • in the dryer
  • out of the dryer
Synonyms
  • tumble dryer

    common in British English; emphasizes the rotating action

  • spin dryer

    an older or simpler type that removes water by spinning only

  • clothes drier

    alternative spelling of 'clothes dryer'

Antonyms
  • clothesline

    an outdoor line for drying clothes without a machine

  • drying rack

    a frame used for air-drying clothes indoors

Grammar Patterns

a/the + dryer

in/out of + the dryer

Usage Note

When the context is clear, speakers often shorten 'clothes dryer' or 'tumble dryer' to just 'dryer'. For example: 'Can you put the laundry in the dryer?' This sense is the most common meaning of 'dryer' when used alone.

Common Mistakes

I put my wet shirt in the hair dryer.
I put my wet shirt in the dryer.
'Hair dryer' is only for drying hair. For drying clothes, just say 'dryer' or 'clothes dryer'.

Word family

  • dry
    adjectiveA1
  • dry
    verbA2
  • drier
    adjectiveA2
  • dryness
    nounB1
  • drying
    adjectiveB1
  • dried
    adjectiveA2
  • drought
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

'Tumble dryer' and 'clothes dryer' are largely interchangeable in British and American English, though 'clothes dryer' is more common in the US. A 'tumble dryer' emphasises the rotating-drum mechanism, while 'clothes dryer' focuses on the purpose. 'Spin dryer' refers to an older or simpler model that removes water by spinning alone, without heated air — these are less common in modern homes. For air-drying alternatives, a 'clothesline' is an outdoor rope or wire, while a 'drying rack' is an indoor collapsible frame; neither uses electricity. Example: 'Ziad put his shirts in the tumble dryer for twenty minutes, then hung his wool jumper on the drying rack.'

tumble dryerspin dryerclotheslinedrying rack

Common collocations

Nouns

  • hair dryer
  • hand dryer
  • clothes dryer
  • tumble dryer
  • dryer sheet
  • dryer lint
  • lint filter
  • dryer setting

Phrases

  • put something in the dryer
  • take something out of the dryer
  • empty the lint filter

Prepositions

  • in the dryer
  • out of the dryer
  • into the dryer

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Formed by adding the agent suffix '-er' to the verb 'dry', meaning 'something that dries'. The word first appeared in the early 19th century for devices that dried objects, and came to refer specifically to electric hair dryers in the 1920s and clothes dryers in the 1930s as household appliances became common.