dry cleaners
30
1.5
- noun
- /draɪ ˈkliːnərz/
- It's just come back from the dry cleaners.
- go to the dry cleaners
- trip to the dry cleaners
- local dry cleaners
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Watch on YouTubeEven if you meant cleaning, doing odd jobs at the dry cleaners whilst I was studying.
- Even if you meant cleaning, doing odd jobs at the dry cleaners whilst I was studying.
Examples
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We headed back into town, and I pulled into the dry cleaners.
Blog text (2) -
The dry cleaners in our neighborhood is known for its quick service.
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Would you have time to take that to the dry cleaners today?
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I have to drop something off at the dry cleaners.
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I've got to get the medicine and go to the dry cleaners.
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I took some of my clothes to the dry cleaners (only 6 things and it cost $70).
Blog text (3) -
The woman at my dry cleaners believes there's no such thing as coincidence.
Fiction book (1994) -
I have to drop something off at the dry cleaners before the party.
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She picked up her suit from the dry cleaners last night.
Synonyms
36
1.0
A shop that cleans clothes for people, often by dry cleaning
32
1.6
A person or shop that cleans clothes with chemicals instead of water
31
1.6
A person or shop that cleans clothes professionally, often using dry cleaning
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'dry' (not wet / without water) modifies 'cleaner' (a person or business that cleans clothes), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer a business that cleans garments without water (i.e., dry cleaning). This follows a common noun-modifier pattern and is cross-linguistically recognizable, making the phrase readily understandable from its parts.
Etymology
Dry cleaners gets its name from a way of cleaning clothes 'without water'. People used special chemicals so the fabric did not get wet, so the shop was called a dry cleaner, and today the name means a place that cleans clothes with chemicals.