The dry-bulb temperature (DBT) is the temperature of air measured by a thermometer freely exposed to the air, but shielded from radiation.
It is directly proportional to the mean kinetic energy of the air molecules.
When measuring dry-bulb temperature, care should be taken to prevent the sensor from being subjected to radiation from neighbouring heat sources.
[1] To minimize the effects of radiation on the sensor one could reduce the sensor's emission factor or by reducing the temperature difference between the sensor and the surrounding surfaces or by adding a thin ventilated reflective screen.
The dry-bulb temperature is one of the main input for thermal comfort calculations and it is also used for assessing the heat transfer by convection.