noun, noun, used as a prefix
drying; dried
Used as a noun meaning the act of drying or something dried, and as a prefix in compounds like 干し柿 (dried persimmon) or 干し草 (hay).
洗濯物の干しが終わった。
The drying of the laundry is finished.
干し柿は冬の保存食だ。
Dried persimmons are a winter preserved food.
Irregular okurigana usage; rarely seen.
乾燥 is a more formal or technical term for 'drying' or 'dryness', often used for climate or industrial processes, while 干し is everyday and often implies sun-drying.
The noun form of the verb 干す (ほす, 'to dry'), from the continuative stem 干し.