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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The adjoining brick houses that form its corner were built in 1844 as the home of an Irish dry goods merchant named Alexander Turney Stewart, who invented the concept of the department store. Julian Sancton, HollywoodReporter, 8 May 2026 About Averitt Express Averitt was started in 1958 as Livingston Merchant’s Co-op, a small trucking company that hauled dry goods in Tennessee, according to the company’s website. Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 29 Apr. 2026 Repurposed glass jars are perfect for storing dry goods, packing lunches, pickling veggies, or serving up iced coffee with charm. Katie Cloyd, Martha Stewart, 21 Apr. 2026 Store dry goods and pet foods in airtight containers. Janay Reece, CBS News, 18 Apr. 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 20 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

dry goods

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

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