English

Noun

dry spell ‎(plural dry spells)

1. A drawn-out period where the weather has been dry, for an abnormally long time; shorter and not as severe as a drought.
   • 1996, M.G. Vassangi, The Book Of Secrets: A Novel, page 74:

     The rains, it seemed, were over, and a dry spell was upon them […]

   • 2003, Denise Gess, William Lutz, Firestorm at Peshtigo, page 42:

     The only place unaffected by the persistent dry spell was the city of Milwaukee […]

2. A period or time where there is little activity, productivity, low income etc.
   • 1970, Gabriel H. L. Jacobs, When children think: using journals to encourage creative thinking, page 31:

     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.

See also

• petrichor (the scent of rain on earth after a dry spell)