If you talk about dry land, you are referring to land, in contrast to the sea or the air. We were glad to be on dry land again. land rather than water
the solid part of the earth's surface; "the plane turned away from the sea and moved back over land"; "the earth shook for several minutes"; "he dropped the logs on the ground"
[ 'drI ] (adjective.) before 12th century. Middle English, from Old English dryge; akin to Old High German truckan dry, Old English drEahnian to drain.