Things That Are Dry

Welcome to our list of things that are dry!

Dry is a comparative term used to describe things that lack a certain amount of moisture. It’s a broad term and can refer to physical objects, climate and attitudes. Hopefully our list of dry things is an interesting read and covers whatever you’re looking for!

Here’s a visual list of things that are dry:

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We hope that visual list of dry things was useful! Here’s a longer and more descriptive list of things that are dry:

• Desert: A desert is a dry, barren landscape that is extremely difficult for plants and animals to survive in.   
• Drought: This is an extended period of no rainfall, leading to prolonged difficulties in maintaining an area’s water supply.
• Firewood: This is dry wood that’s been collected to make fire with. If the fire isn’t dry, it’s very difficult to set alight.
• Tinder: Tinder is dry material that’s easy to set alight.
• Kindling: Kindling is a dry substance used to make fire.
• Coal: This is a brownish-black rock commonly used as fuel.
• Bone: Bones are commonly known for their dryness and are even part of an idiom that describes dryness – “dry as a bone”.
• Cinnamon: This is a dry spice used as an aromatic. It’s so dry that it has internet challenges centred around eating and swallowing a spoon of cinnamon by itself (not recommended).
• Antarctica: Even though Antarctica has plenty of ice and water, it is one of the colest, driest and windiest continents. It is considered a polar desert, with very tiny amounts of rain annually.
• Saltines: A Saltine is a thin cracker known for its dry and crisp texture. Also known as a soda cracker.
• Asphalt: This is also known as bitumen and is used in road construction.
• Granite: This is a type of igneous rock with a characteristic rough, dry texture.
• Tree Bark: This is the dry, rough exterior of a tree.
• Weet bix: Weet bix is a type of cereal that’s made from dried, shredded wheat pieces. Characteristically crunchy and very dry.
• Limestone: This is a dry, crumbly stone that’s commonly composed of coral, molluscs and other marine sediment.
• Brick: Bricks are building materials made of fired clay.
• Bitumen: This is a construction material that’s used to pave roads.
• Pavement: This refers to the dry, rough sidewalks that border our roads.
• Powdered gravy: This is gravy that is in dry, powdered form and needs to be activated with water.
• Muesli Bar: This is muesli mixed with nuts and various fruits in bar form. Known for a dry, crunchy texture.
• Pinecone: This is a plant organ that’s commonly used in bouquets and home decoration.
• Fossil: These are the preserved remains of a once-living thing. Common examples are bones, stone imprints, shells, amber preserves and petrified wood.
• Stone: Stones are known for their dryness – “like trying to wring tears from a stone.”
• Rock: This is a solid mass known for dryness and strength.
• Sandpaper: This is a coarse surface used for smoothing the bumps out of other objects.
• Crouton: A crouton is a small chunk of rebaked bread, used to add crunch to salads and soups.
• Toast: Toast is mildly heated and dried bread with a crispy surface.
• Puffed Rice: This is a snack food made by puffing air into rice and reducing the moisture in the rice grain so it becomes lighter and crispier.
• Rice: This is a grain that is a staple food for many Asian populations.
• Rust: This is a usually red oxide that’s formed in the presence of water or moisture. It typically has a dry, flaky, powdery texture.
• Air: In dry climates, air will retain less moisture and will feel dry and uncomfortable to our skin.
• Sand: This is small granules of mineral particles, and is known for its dry texture, especially since deserts are popularly known for their sandiness.
• Instant Coffee: This is also known as coffee powder. This is a powder derived from ground up coffee beans.
• Flour: This is a powder made from finely ground grains, beans, or seeds that’s commonly used in baking.
• Sugar: Sugar is a small, sweet-tasting crystal used to season food, dessert and drinks.
• Climate: If an area hasn’t had much rain, then it’s known to have a dry climate.
• Attitude: Someone who is blunt, straightforward and/or sarcastic, their attitude can be described as “dry”.
• Protein Powder: This is a dry nutritional dietary supplement available in powder form, used to mix into drinks or sprinkle over food. It generally has a dry, chalky texture.
• Baking Powder: This is a dry powder added to baking mixtures in order to make them light and fluffy.
• Baking Soda: This is a powder composed of salt and bicarbonate.
• Cream of Tartar: This is a dry powder that is a byproduct of winemaking. It can be used as a cleaning product (when mixed with lemon or vinegar).
• Salt: This is a mineral that’s most commonly used to season food, to preserve food, and as a cleaning agent.
• Cereal: This is a dry, crunchy breakfast food that is intended to have some kind of plant milk added to it when eaten.
• Oatmeal: This is generally regarded as a breakfast food. Composed of hulled oat grains, it is very dry, powdery and chewy unless mixed with some kind of liquid when eaten.
• Yeast: Yeasts are a type of fungus. We use powdered yeasts in baking and as a topping or seasoning (nutritional yeast).
• Felafels: Felafels are small balls made of chickpeas, herbs and seasoning. Due to their chickpea content,
• Sawdust: This is the waste that’s left over after wood has been sawn.
• Humour: If someone is sarcastic or even self-deprecating, they’re known to have dry humour.
• Dessicated Coconut: This is dried, shredded coconut. It’s used as a crispy topping for drinks, cereals and desserts.
• Vanilla: This is a flavouring used in desserts, drinks and baking.
• Basil: This is a herb that’s dried and used as a seasoning for various types of dishes.
• Oregano: This is a plant in the mint family. It is a herb that’s commonly dried and used as a seasoning.
• Marjoram: This is a herb that’s generally dried and used as a seasoning.
• Thyme: This is a herb that’s popularly used in dried form as a seasoning for various dishes.
• Coriander: Coriander is a herb that’s used both fresh and dry.
• Garlic Flakes: These are dehydrated flakes of garlic, intended for convenient and instant use of garlic in cooking.
• Nutmeg: This is a ground spice used to season dishes.
• Ground Cloves: Cloves are a flower bud that are dried, ground, and used as a spice.
• Bay Leaves: These are aromatic leaves used to season and add scent to cooking. For convenience, it’s usually bought in dried form and can be ground into powder too.
• Cumin: This is a flowering plant that is commonly dried, ground, and used as a powder spice.
• Dill: Dill is a herb that is usually available chopped and dried for convenience.
• Onion Powder: This dry powder is the result of grinding up dehydrated onion.
• Dry Mustard: This can refer to either dried mustard seeds, or to the powder that is made from grinding those seeds up. Used as a spicy condiment.
• Chili Powder: This is a dry spice made from dehydrated and ground chilies.
• Sage: This is a herb used for seasoning dishes, and is commonly found in dried form for convenient use.
• Parsley: This is a herb that is used both fresh and dry.
• Dust: This is fine particles in the atmosphere that contain hairs, skin cells, cloth fibres, minerals, etc.
• Lint: This is a collection of textile fibres.
• Autumn Leaves: During autumn, leaves die and fall off their trees, drying up in the process.
• Tardigrade (Water Bear): Also known as moss piglets. These are very tough, tiny animals that are considered to be the driest animal alive.
• Textbooks: Any textbook with particularly dense or technical information is considered dry (“a dry read”).    
• Instant Noodles: These are dried, crunchy noodles that soften when boiled.
• Corn Starch: This is dried starch from corn grain, commonly used as an adhesive.
• Cocoa: Dry cocoa is what is left over after cocoa butter is taken from roasted cocoa beans. It is used as a flavouring in baking and in drinks, but is too dry and powdery to be eaten by itself.
• Biscuits: Many varieties of biscuit are dry and crunchy. If a biscuit is baked for too long, it becomes overly dry and hard.
• Corn Meal: This is a coarse flour made from gound corn (maize). Also known as corn flour.
• Cake: Having a dry cake is a common baker’s fear, as it’ is easy to overbake a cake, causing it to be unpleasantly dry, heavy and chewy.
• Wine: In the context of wine, dryness indicates a lack of sweetness.
• Beer: If a beer is fully fermented, then it’s considered a dry beer.
• Weather: If the weather is sunny and without rain, it’s dry weather.
• Baby Powder: This is a dry, dusty powder used to prevent diaper rash.
• Pigment: Pigments are dry powders that give inks and paint their colour.
• Sobriety: If a person is sober, they’re called “dry”(for example, “Dry July” – a challenge where one abstains from alcohol for the month of July).
• Prohibition: This is a period where alcohol was banned. Since is involves sobriety, it was considered a dry period.
• Riverbed: When the water in a river dries up, the bottom of the river (aka the riverbed) becomes exposed.
• Laundry: Drying is part of the process of doing laundry.
• Dishes: Drying the dishes is an every day chore.
• Cinder: Cinders are the flaky remains of a fire once it’s been put out.
• Ashes: Ashes are the powdery remains of a fire.
• Bone Dry Clay: “Bone dry” refers to the state of clay where it’s dry enough to put in a kiln.
• Sponge: In general, the drier a sponge is, the more effective it will be (since its job is to soak up liquids).
• Incense: Incense is a stick of aromatic material that released scented smoke when burned.
• Land: In broad geographic terms, land is dry (as opposed to oceans).
• Wheat: This is a grass which is used as a staple food.
• Chalk Dust: Chalk is a soft, crumbly, dusty rock which we use to write on and decorate surfaces.
• Chalkboard: This is a slate panel which we use as a writing surface for chalk. If it isn’t dry, it doesn’t work as well.
• Australia: As Australia is a generally hot country with not a lot of rainfall, it’s considered to be a dry, dusty country.
• Aoulef, Algeria: This is one of the driest places in the world, with a hot desert climate, long summers and warm winters.
• Pelican Point: With an average of only 8.13mm of rainfall each year, this is one of the driest places on Earth.
• Luxor Egypt: This is a city in Egypt with only 0.86mm of average rainfall per year.
• Iquique, Chile: This is a commune in northern Chile which has an average of only 5.08mm of rainfall each year.
• Ica, Peru: This is one of the driest climates in the world, with an average of only 2.29mm of rainfall per year.
• Kufra, Libya: This area gets only 0.86mm average rainfall per year and is one of the driest places in the world.
• McMurdo Dry Valleys: Found in Antarctica, this is the driest place on Earth with an average rainfall of 0mm per year.
• Kanpyo: This is the dried shavings of a type of gourd.
• Popcorn: These are heated corn kernels, which puff up or “pop” when warmed. They are a dry, crunchy and low calorie snack (without toppings).
• Oats: This is a type of cereal grain is is dry and chewy.
• Lentils: These are legumes that are commonly sold in dry form.
• Kidney Bean: Easily confused with adzuki beans. These are available in dry packs to be boiled.
• Pasta: Pasta is a type of noodle that is conveniently available dried.
• Black Beans: These beans are popular in vegetarian cooking due to their dense texture. They can be bought soaked or dried.
• Chickpeas: These are a great source of vegan protein and can be bought in cans or dry packs.
• Millet: This is a type of grass and is used as a staple food.
• Dried Shiitake: This is an Asian mushroom commonly used in soups, dishes and traditional medicine.
• Mushroom extract: This is a dry stock powder that is used to flavour cooking.
• Tea Leaves: These are dried leaves that make a fragrant, bitter, mildly caffeinated drink when boiled or brewed.
• Buillon Cube: A buillon cube is a pressed cube of stock powder, used to make soups.
• Apple Chips: Apples can be dried and dehydrated (sometimes even freeze-dried) to make apple chips, which are seen as a healthier alternative to potato chips.
• Chenpi: This is sun-dried mandarin peel and is used as a traditional flavouring used in Chinese cuisine and medicine.
• Banana Chips: Dried and preserved slices of banana are used to make crunchy banana chips. Unlike apple chips, they aren’t seen as a healthy snack due to their added sugar.
• Soybean: This is a great and cheap protein source and is popular is many vegan and vegetarian meals.
• Dried Figs: Figs are a fruit that can be dried and preserved to make a sweet and chewy snack.
• Dried Apricot: Apricots can be dried and preserved to make a chewy and easily portable snack.
• Prunes: Prunes are dried pums.
• Freeze-Dried Ice Cream: This is ice cream that has been dehydrated using a freeze-drying process and doesn’t need to be kept in a fridge.
• Dehydrator: This is a kitchen aid that dehydrates food in other to preserve it.
• Sarcasm: Sarcasm is considered to be a “dry” form of humour or wit.
• Muffins: If overcooked, muffins can become dry and crumbly.
• Raisin: Raisins are dried grapes.

We hope this list of dry things was useful and that you found what you needed!

We did our best to cover the varied meanings of “dry” with our visual gallery of dry things and descriptive list. If you feel there’s something we missed, feel free to let us know and leave a comment.

Thank you for visiting Thing Database!