drier

Drier is the comparative form of the adjective dry, used to describe a greater level of lack of moisture or aridity. It can also function as a noun in several contexts, referring to a device, substance, or person that removes moisture, or to someone who dries things.

The spelling drier is sometimes used interchangeably with dryer, though dryer is often the more common form in modern American usage for the appliance that removes moisture from clothes or other materials. In some British or older texts, drier may be encountered as a valid noun form as well. The term is etymologically derived from the adjective dry plus the comparative suffix -er, tracing back to Old English and Middle English roots.

Common senses

- An appliance or device that removes moisture, especially a clothes dryer. A drier/dryer can be used to specify equipment designed to reduce humidity in air or to dry textiles, food, or other materials.

- A substance or agent that speeds up the drying process. In industrial contexts, drying agents or driers are used to accelerate the curing or drying of materials such as oil-based paints. Examples include metal salts like cobalt or manganese driers, which catalyze the oxidation of drying oils.

- A descriptor for moisture level in the environment or atmosphere. In meteorology or daily usage, “drier” refers to conditions with lower humidity or less ambient moisture, as in a drier climate compared to a wetter one.

See also: dry, drying, drying agent, dryer.