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Webster 1913 Edition

Damp

Damp

(dămp)
,
Noun.
[Akin to LG., D., & Dan.
damp
vapor, steam, fog, G.
dampf
, Icel.
dampi
, Sw.
damb
dust, and to MNG.
dimpfen
to smoke, imp.
dampf
.]
1.
Moisture; humidity; fog; fogginess; vapor.
Night . . . with black air
Accompanied, with
damps
and dreadful gloom.
Milton.
2.
Dejection; depression; cloud of the mind.
Even now, while thus I stand blest in thy presence,
A secret
damp
of grief comes o’er my soul.
Addison.
It must have thrown a
damp
over your autumn excursion.
J. D. Forbes.
3.
(Mining)
A gaseous product, formed in coal mines, old wells, pints, etc.
Choke damp
,
a damp consisting principally of carbonic acid gas; – so called from its extinguishing flame and animal life. See
Carbonic acid
, under
Carbonic
.
–
Damp sheet
,
a curtain in a mine gallery to direct air currents and prevent accumulation of gas.
–
Fire damp
,
a damp consisting chiefly of light carbureted hydrogen; – so called from its tendence to explode when mixed with atmospheric air and brought into contact with flame.

Damp

(dămp)
,
Adj.
[
Com
par.
Damper
;
sup
erl.
Dampest
.]
1.
Being in a state between dry and wet; moderately wet; moist; humid.
O'erspread with a
damp
sweat and holy fear.
Dryden.
2.
Dejected; depressed; sunk.
[R.]
All these and more came flocking, but with looks
Downcast and
damp
.
Milton.

Damp

,
Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Damped
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Damping
.]
[OE.
dampen
to choke, suffocate. See
Damp
,
Noun.
]
1.
To render damp; to moisten; to make humid, or moderately wet; to dampen;
as, to
damp
cloth
.
2.
To put out, as fire; to depress or deject; to deaden; to cloud; to check or restrain, as action or vigor; to make dull; to weaken; to discourage.
“To damp your tender hopes.”
Akenside.
Usury dulls and
damps
all industries, improvements, and new inventions, wherein money would be stirring if it were not for this slug.
Bacon.
How many a day has been
damped
and darkened by an angry word!
Sir J. Lubbock.
The failure of his enterprise
damped
the spirit of the soldiers.
Macaulay.

Webster 1828 Edition

Damp

DAMP

, a.
1.
Moist; humid; being in a state between dry and wet; as a damp cloth; damp air; sometimes, foggy; as, the atmosphere is damp; but it may be damp without visible vapor.
2.
Dejected; sunk; depressed; chilled.

DAMP

, n.
1. Moist air; humidity; moisture; fog.
2.
Dejection; depression of spirits; chill. We say, to strike a damp, or to cast a damp, on the spirits.
3.
Damps. plu. Noxious exhalations issuing from the earth, and deleterious or fatal to animal life. These are often known to exist in wells, which continue long covered and not used, and in mines and coal-pits; and sometimes they issue from the old lavas of volcanoes. These damps are usually the carbonic acid gas, vulgarly called choke-damp, which instantly suffocates; or some inflammable gas, called fire-damp.

DAMP

, v.t.
1.
To moisten; to make humid, or moderately wet.
2.
To chill; to deaden; to depress or deject; to abate; as, to damp the spirits; to damp the ardor of passion.
3.
To weaken; to make dull; as, to damp sound.
4.
To check or restrain, as action or vigor; to make languid; to discourage; as, to damp industry.

Definition 2024

Damp

Damp

See also: damp and DAMP

Luxembourgish

Noun

Damp m ‎(plural Dämp)

  1. (uncountable) steam
  2. fume

damp

damp

See also: DAMP and Damp

English

Adjective

damp ‎(comparative damper, superlative dampest)

  1. Being in a state between dry and wet; moderately wet; moist.
    The lawn was still damp so we decided not to sit down.
    The paint is still damp, so please don't touch it.
  2. (figuratively) despondent; dispirited, downcast
    • 1667, John Milton, Paradise Lost, Book 1, ll. 522-3:
      All these and more came flocking; but with looks / Down cast and damp.

Usage notes

Damp is mainly used for disagreeable conditions while moist is mostly used for agreeable conditions:

  • damp clothes
  • moist cake

Synonyms

Translations

Derived terms

See also

  • Appendix:Word formation verb -en noun -ness

Noun

damp ‎(countable and uncountable, plural damps)

  1. Moisture; humidity; dampness.
  2. (archaic) Fog; fogginess; vapor.
    • Milton
      Night […] with black air / Accompanied, with damps and dreadful gloom.
  3. (archaic) Dejection or depression.
    • Joseph Addison
      Even now, while thus I stand blest in thy presence, / A secret damp of grief comes o'er my soul.
    • J. D. Forbes
      It must have thrown a damp over your autumn excursion.
  4. (archaic or historical, mining) A gaseous product, formed in coal mines, old wells, pits, etc.

Translations

Derived terms

Verb

damp ‎(third-person singular simple present damps, present participle damping, simple past and past participle damped)

  1. (transitive, archaic) To dampen; to render damp; to moisten; to make humid, or moderately wet; as, to damp cloth.
  2. (transitive, archaic) To put out, as fire; to depress or deject; to deaden; to cloud; to check or restrain, as action or vigor; to make dull; to weaken; to discourage.
  3. (transitive) To suppress vibrations (mechanical) or oscillations (electrical) by converting energy to heat (or some other form of energy).
    • To damp your tender hopes - Mark Akenside
    • Usury dulls and damps all industries, improvements, and new inventions, wherein money would be stirring if it were not for this slug - Francis Bacon
    • How many a day has been damped and darkened by an angry word! - Sir John Lubbock
    • The failure of his enterprise damped the spirit of the soldiers. - Thomas Babington Macaulay
    • Hollow rollers damp vibration. -

Translations

Anagrams

Danish

Noun

damp c (singular definite dampen, plural indefinite dampe)

  1. steam

Inflection

Verb

damp

  1. imperative of dampe

Dutch

Pronunciation

  • Rhymes: -ɑmp

Noun

damp m ‎(plural dampen, diminutive dampje n)

  1. vapour (UK), vapor (US)

Derived terms

Verb

damp

  1. first-person singular present indicative of dampen
  2. imperative of dampen

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From German Low German damp

Noun

damp m ‎(definite singular dampen, indefinite plural damper, definite plural dampene)

  1. steam
  2. vapour (UK), vapor (US)

Derived terms

References

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From German Low German damp

Noun

damp m ‎(definite singular dampen, indefinite plural dampar, definite plural dampane)

  1. steam
  2. vapour (UK), vapor (US)

Derived terms

References

Swedish

Verb

damp

  1. past tense of dimpa.

Etymology

From Middle English *damp (inferred from the verb). Akin to Low German damp, Dutch damp, and Danish damp ‎(“vapor, steam, fog”), German Dampf, Icelandic dampi, Swedish damm ‎(“dust”), and to German dampf imperative of dimpfen ‎(“to smoke”). Also Middle English dampen ‎(“to extinguish, choke, suffocate”). Ultimately all descend from Proto-Germanic *dampaz.

Pronunciation

  • enPR: dămp, IPA(key): /dæmp/
  • Rhymes: -æmp

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