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Glite Dictionary
dry battery

dry battery

3.4
A small source of electricity used in devices like radios or flashlights that has no liquid
  • noun
  • /draɪ ˈbætəri/
  • Specialized
translation icon : batería seca
  • The remote control requires two AA dry batteries to operate.

Examples

  • Many electronic devices, like toys and clocks, use dry batteries for power.

  • I replaced the old dry battery in my flashlight to make sure it works.

  • Dry battery.

    Ill Met by Moonlight (1957)

Synonyms

dry cell
vsdry battery
  • Specialized
1 4.0

A small battery with a moist paste inside that gives power to devices like a flashlight

is an assembly of two or more such units supplying power without free liquid electrolytes

Surface Forms

dry battery singular
dry batteries plural

Morphology

dry + battery

The meaning is directly derivable from the constituents: 'dry' (not wet) modifying 'battery' (electrochemical cell) yields a battery that uses no liquid electrolyte. This adjective–noun composition is literal and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both words can readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Dry battery gets its name from older batteries that used a liquid inside; the newer kind used a paste or 'no liquid', so people started calling them dry. That's why dry battery today means a small battery you can carry that will not leak.