dry hole
noun
any well drilled for oil or gas that does not yield enough to be commercially profitable.
Also called
duster.
Origin of dry hole
An Americanism dating back to 1880–85
Words nearby dry hole
dry fog,
dry freeze,
dry fresco,
dry gangrene,
dry goods,
dry hole,
dry ice,
dry joint,
dry kiln,
dry labor,
dry lake
British Dictionary definitions for dry hole
dry hole
noun
(in the oil industry) a well that is drilled but does not produce oil or gas in commercially worthwhile amounts