Emily Dickinson Lexicon

DRY, v.t. [Sax. drigan, adrigan, or drygan, adrygan, adrugan, gedrigan; D. droogen; G. trocknen, to dry, to wipe; Gr. τρυγιω; L. tergo, tergeo; Fr. torcher; Sw. torcka. The German has also dürr, Sw. torr, Dan. tör, but these seem to be connected with L. torreo, Russ. obterayu or oterayu. Class Dr. Whether drigan and dry are derivatives of that root, or belong to Class Rg, the root of rake, is not certain. See Dry. Class Rg. The primary sense is to wipe, rub, scour.]

1. To free from water, or from moisture of any kind, and by any means; originally by wiping, as to dry the eyes; to exsiccate.
2. To deprive of moisture by evaporation or exhalation; as, the sun dries a cloth; wind dries the earth.
3. To deprive of moisture by exposure to the sun or open air. We dry cloth in the sun.
4. To deprive of natural juice, sap or greenness; as, to dry hay or plants.
5. To scorch or parch with thirst; with up. Their honorable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst. – Isa. v.
6. To deprive of water by draining; to drain; to exhaust; as, to dry a meadow. To dry up, to deprive wholly of water.