1
: grocery items (such as tobacco, sugar, flour, and coffee) that do not contain liquid
2
: textiles, ready-to-wear clothing, and notions as distinguished especially from hardware and groceries

Examples of dry goods in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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As history tells it, Strauss was a dry goods merchant in San Francisco at the height of the gold rush. Catherine Salfino, Footwear News, 20 May 2026 These five-and-ten or dimestores sold general merchandise– dry goods, clothing, toys, hardware, and sometimes a soda fountain—all in one place. Dawn Thilmany, Forbes.com, 19 May 2026 Aware of the potential of his idea but short on seed money, Davis wrote to Levi Strauss, who ran the dry goods company that supplied Davis with cloth. Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 May 2026 How To Prevent Pantry Moths There are some simple ways to prevent infestation, especially if your household uses a lot of dry goods that come in thin cardboard boxes or single-use plastic bags. Lauren Wicks, Southern Living, 13 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for dry goods

Word History

First Known Use

1657, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of dry goods was in 1657

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Cite this Entry

“Dry goods.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dry%20goods. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

dry goods

plural noun
: cloth goods (as fabrics, lace, and ribbon)

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