drouthy

English

Etymology

From drouth +‎ -y.

Adjective

drouthy (comparative drouthier or more drouthy, superlative drouthiest or most drouthy)

1. (Scotland, US) Droughty, dry.
   • 1951 June, Herman L. Wascher, R. S. Smith, R. T. Odell, Soil Report 74: Iroquois County Soils, U. S. Department of Agriculture, page 13,

     The drouthy sandy soils are not well adapted to the grain crops that grow throughout the summer but may be used for wheat or rye, the deep-rooting legumes, or timber.

   • 1993, Thomas Foti, The River's Gifts and Curses, Jeannie Whayne, Willard B. Gatewood, The Arkansas Delta: Land of Paradox, page 45,

     That clay will not allow rainwater to penetrate far and will not give up much water to plants, so the site is a drouthy one for plants.

   • 1962 [1948], Paul R. Beath (editor), Louise Pound (editor of 1962 edition), Febold Feboldson: Tall Tales from the Great Plains, page 58,

     Febold was always a good-natured cuss, but he really got peeved one year when the weather got hotter and drier and drouthier every day.

   • 2007, Francis E. Abernethy, “Legends of the Trail”, in Kenneth L. Untiedt, editor, Folklore in Motion: Texas Travel Lore, page 61:

     1886 was the drouthiest year in over a generation, and the wells had dried up, and the black land on Tobe Pickett's farm had cracks in it wide enough to swallow a jackrabbit.

2. (Scotland, US) Thirsty.
   • 1835, Egerton Brydges, editor, Notes on Comus: The Poetical Works of John Milton, volume 5, page 252:

     At parting, they bestowed a cup on him of a miraculous make, for it was ever full of wine, let the drinker be ever so drouthy.

   • 1866, Mayne Reid, The Scalp Hunters: Or, Adventures Among the Trappers‎^[1], page 187:

     A drouthier pair of mortals could not have been found anywhere, and, at the first draught, each emptied his cup to the bottom!

   • 1899, John Buchan, A Lost Lady of Old Years, published 2013, unnumbered page:

     " […] Help yoursel' to some wine, Mr. Birkenshaw, for it's drouthy work talking."