dry-dock

1 of 2

verb

dry-docked; dry-docking; dry-docks

transitive verb

: to place in a dry dock

dry dock

2 of 2

noun

: a dock that can be kept dry for use during the construction or repairing of ships

Example Sentences

Noun The dry dock is full. The ship is in dry dock.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
There is funding to build an electric ferry and for design planning to build another diesel-electric hybrid ship — likely replacing the 60-year-old Matanuska, which is in dry dock and may not sail again. Sean Maguire, Anchorage Daily News, 16 Feb. 2023 After being brought back to base, the beleaguered Prince of Wales sailed to Rosyth in Scotland to undergo repairs in dry dock which could take several months. Bloomberg.com, 13 Oct. 2022 The bracing wind that whips through the vast dry dock does not seem to diminish the enthusiasm of the crew. Amy Davis, Baltimore Sun, 20 Dec. 2022 General Ship Repair, a small shipyard in Locust Point, was contracted to dry dock and paint the Constellation this fall. Amy Davis, Baltimore Sun, 20 Dec. 2022 With the towering construction crane and the sturdy boat in dry dock, the photo above symbolizes what’s happening in the city — and parts of the Arctic more generally. Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 21 Feb. 2013 So far, recovery has only been possible using divers and a dry dock shelter (DDS), a hump-shaped module that allows divers to enter and exit a submarine underwater. Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 8 Nov. 2022 Part of the reason is the building itself, an Albert Kahn design that opened in 1904 and reopened in 2012 after seven years in budgetary dry dock. Detroit Free Press, 10 Nov. 2022 Rookie Jakub Lauko, who had been penciled in to skate on the fourth line again with Nick Foligno and Tomas Nosek, was bumped to dry dock with DeBrusk’s return. Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Oct. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dry-dock.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1854, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1626, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dry-dock was in 1626

Dictionary Entries Near dry-dock

Cite this Entry

“Dry-dock.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dry-dock. Accessed 28 Mar. 2023.

Kids Definition

dry dock

noun
ˈdrī-ˌdäk
: a dock that can be kept dry during the construction or repair of ships
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