damp

damp¹ [dæmp] adj

[Date: 1300-1400; : Middle Low German]

1.) slightly wet, often in an unpleasant way

▪ Wipe the leather with a damp cloth.

▪ a cold, damp day

2.) damp squib

BrE informal something that is intended to be exciting, effective etc, but which is disappointing

>dampness n [U]

>damply adv

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

WORD CHOICE: damp, moist, humid

Use damp especially to say that something is slightly wet in an unpleasant way : The room was cold and damp.

Use moist to say that something is slightly wet in a pleasant way or in the way it should be : She took a mouthful of the delicious moist cake. | rich, moist soil

Use humid to talk about the weather or the air when it is slightly wet and makes you feel uncomfortable : the hot humid atmosphere of a greenhouse

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

damp ²

damp² n [U] BrE

water in walls or in the air that causes things to be slightly wet

▪ Damp had stained the walls.

damp ³

damp³ v [T]

to dampen something

damp down [damp sth<=>down] phr v

to make a fire burn more slowly, often by covering it with ↑ash