What does dry really mean?

[lizardbrains]

My husband and I both equate "it hurts when the wine goes down" with "Dry". Would you say this is about right? Or are we way off base? I would like to learn how to express my feelings about wines, but am not quite sure how/where to start. Would a book help? I've done some searching on the web, but there's SO MUCH to look at. Any ideas/suggestions?