Meaning

noun a reformer who opposes the use of intoxicating beverages

verb remove the moisture from and make dry

verb become dry or drier

originAdjective and noun from Middle English drye, dryge, drüȝe, from Old English drȳġe (“dry; parched, withered”), from Proto-West Germanic *drūgī, *draugī, from Proto-Germanic *drūgiz, *draugiz (“dry, hard”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰerǵʰ- (“to strengthen; become hard”), from *dʰer- (“to hold, support”). The verb derives from Middle English drien, from Old English drȳġan (“to dry”), from…

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0