I thought the 3rd wire on a 220VAC dryer outlet was a "ground" not a "neutral"?

So you're saying it is OK to tie the neutral and ground together inside the dryer?

Isn't there a good reason a 4th wire is on the newer dryers and would therefore need a 4-wire outlet?

I completely understand the difference between ground wire and a (grounded) neutral and that a true ground wire should not carry any current unless there is a fault.