dry-clean

IPA/ˌdraɪ ˈkliːn/
IPA/ˌdraɪ ˈkliːn/

dry-clean — verb

  • dry-cleanpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • dry-cleanshe / she / it
  • dry-cleanedpast simple
  • dry-cleaning-ing form

1. to clean a piece of clothing or another fabric with special solvents rather than

1.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to clean a piece of clothing or another fabric with special solvents rather than washing it in water

Example

Linh dry-cleaned her wool coat before the winter wedding.

dry-clean + object (coat, suit, curtains)

The shop dry-cleans suits overnight before early morning flights.

Common collocations
  • dry-clean a suit
  • dry-clean a coat
  • dry-clean a dress
  • dry-clean curtains
  • dry-clean only
Synonyms
  • clean

    much broader; it can include brushing or wiping, not specifically solvent cleaning

  • launder

    more formal and broader; it often includes ordinary washing with water

  • spot-clean

    narrower; it treats one dirty area instead of the whole item

Grammar Patterns

dry-clean + object

be dry-cleaned

have + object + dry-cleaned

Usage Note

Usually takes a garment or household fabric as the object. On care labels and in shop language, passive forms are especially common, as in 'must be dry-cleaned' and 'dry-clean only'.

Common Mistakes

This jacket should be washed only.
This jacket should be dry-cleaned only.
Use 'dry-clean' when water would damage the fabric.

Word family

  • dry cleaning
    nounB1
  • dry cleaner
    nounB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

'Dry-clean' is more specific than 'wash', 'clean', or 'launder'. You dry-clean clothes when water could damage the fabric or shape, especially suits, silk dresses, coats, and curtains. 'Wash' usually means cleaning with water by hand or in a machine. 'Clean' is the broadest word and can include wiping, brushing, or chemical treatment. 'Launder' is more formal and often refers to the whole clothes-care process, so it does not automatically mean solvent cleaning. 'Spot-clean' is narrower: you treat one dirty patch instead of the whole item. So you wash a T-shirt, dry-clean a wool suit, launder hotel sheets, and spot-clean a small stain on a sofa cover.

wash ↗clean ↗launder ↗spot-clean

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • dry-clean only
  • have it dry-cleaned
  • take it to be dry-cleaned

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Dry-clean is a modern English compound built from dry and clean. In this verb, dry contrasts with ordinary water washing rather than meaning completely free of liquid: the item is cleaned with special solvents instead of soap and water. The word became common with professional clothing-care services for wool, silk, and other fabrics that can lose shape or texture in a normal wash.

First known use

1817

1817, in the meaning defined at transitive sense