to dry clean
8
3.3
- phrasal verb
- /draɪ klin/
:
limpiar en seco
- The only downside is that it is silk, thus dry clean only.
- dry clean only
- dry-clean clothes
- dry clean a shirt
So honestly, when I go shopping, if it says dry clean only, I side eye it hard.
- So honestly, when I go shopping, if it says dry clean only, I side eye it hard.
Examples
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It's dry-clean only.
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This is dry clean only.
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Okay, this jacket is dry clean only.
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What percentage of your wardrobe is dry clean only?
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While you are at it, make sure to dry clean your comforters too.
Blog text (28) -
I'm gonna dry-clean it.
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I need to dry clean this delicate dress to keep it looking new.
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After spilling coffee on my suit, I decided to dry clean it instead of washing it at home.
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Before the party, make sure to dry clean your favorite outfit for the best appearance.
Antonyms
How Clean
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to clean clothes or fabrics using chemical solvents instead of water' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'dry' (not wet) with 'clean' (to remove dirt), signalling cleaning done without water. This compositional pattern is cross-linguistically common (e.g., Spanish 'lavado en seco', French 'nettoyage à sec') and follows a predictable English compound/verb formation, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would normally infer the intended meaning.
Etymology
The verb dry clean comes from the idea of cleaning clothes without using water. The words dry and clean show that literal image: cleaners used special liquids that cleaned the clothes but did not make them wet, so today it means 'to clean clothes with special liquids instead of water'.