What does "dry spell" mean?

A drawn-out period where the weather has been dry, for an abnormally long time; shorter and not as severe as a drought.

What is a synonym for "dry spell"?

Common synonyms include: arid spell, drought, droughts, drouth, drouthes, drouths.

noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Noun

1
A drawn-out period where the weather has been dry, for an abnormally long time; shorter and not as severe as a drought.
"Mississippi in the middle of a dry spell / Jimmy Rogers on the Victrola up high"
2
A period or time where there is little activity, productivity, low income etc. figuratively
"The first type is of course the dry spell when you can't think of any ideas. The second type is when kids just have a dry spell in writing."
3
A period of time without sexual intercourse. figuratively
"There's no telling when the serial dating bug can strike. You may be just getting out of a serious relationship, marriage, or long dry spell. But one thing's for certain: when it does it can become a really hard habit to break."

"Mississippi in the middle of a dry spell / Jimmy Rogers on the Victrola up high"

Originated around 1885–1890, from dry + spell (“a period of time”). Compare cold spell.