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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Seal dry goods, such as pet food and birdseed, in airtight containers in the pantry or garage so mice can't get into them. Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 1 Oct. 2025 Two kitchen areas had debris and dust build-up: the shelf holding dry goods next to the pizza oven and the metro racks inside the walk-in cooler. Sacbee.com, 26 Sep. 2025 My goal there is to support the pantry with fresh produce to complement their canned and dry goods. Kansas City Star, 23 Aug. 2025 On the left side of travel, the hatch stores the kitchen slide-out with sink and 2,000-W dual-spot induction cooktop, dry goods pantry and electrical panel. New Atlas, 22 Aug. 2025 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 17 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

dry goods

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

More from Merriam-Webster on dry goods

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