dry cleaning

noun

1

: the cleansing of fabrics with substantially nonaqueous organic solvents

2

: something that is dry-cleaned

Examples of dry cleaning in a Sentence

I can pick up the dry cleaning on my way home.

Recent Examples on the Web

Service sector jobs in auto repair shops, commercial machinery repair shops, nail salons and dry cleaning businesses have also recorded substantial declines. — Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 30 July 2026

Historically used in dry cleaning or to degrease metal parts, the chemicals leaked into the base’s wells, poisoning the drinking water. — Wuft News, Miami Herald, 29 July 2026

Remedies include dry cleaning, freezing, steaming, sunlight, and natural repellents. — Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 July 2026

Their customers are busy professionals who don’t enjoy shopping, don’t want to think about what to wear each morning, and would gladly eliminate laundry and dry cleaning from their weekly routines. — Angela Chan-Danisi, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1855, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for dry cleaning

• careening
• convening
• demeaning
• housecleaning
• machining
• unmeaning
• contravening
• intervening
• overweening
• supervening
• gleaning
• greening