Hypertext Webster Gateway: "damp"

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Damp \Damp\, a. [Compar. {Damper}; superl. {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.

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Damp \Damp\ (d[a^]mp), n. [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.

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Damp \Damp\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Damped}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Damping}.] [OE. dampen to choke, suffocate. See {Damp}, n.]
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.

From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)

damp
adj : slightly wet; "clothes damp with perspiration"; "a moist
breeze"; "eyes moist with tears" [syn: {dampish}, {moist}]
n : a slight wetness [syn: {dampness}, {moistness}]
v 1: deaden (a sound or noise), esp. by wrapping [syn: {muffle},
{mute}, {dull}, {dampen}, {tone down}]
2: restrain or discourage; "the sudden bad news damped the
joyous atmosphere"
3: quieten or silence (a sound) or make (an image) less visible
[syn: {dampen}, {muffle}, {mute}, {deaden}, {tone down}]
4: lessen in force or effect; "soften a shock"; "break a fall"
[syn: {dampen}, {soften}, {weaken}, {break}]


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