damp: Meaning and Definition of

damp

Pronunciation: (damp), [key]
— adj., n., v. -er, -est,
—adj.
  1. slightly wet; moist: damp weather; a damp towel.
  2. unenthusiastic; dejected; depressed: The welcoming committee gave them a rather damp reception.
—n.
  1. moisture; humidity; moist air: damp that goes through your warmest clothes.
  2. a noxious or stifling vapor or gas, esp. in a mine.
  3. depression of spirits; dejection.
  4. a restraining or discouraging force or factor.
—v.t.
  1. to make damp; moisten.
  2. to check or retard the energy, action, etc., of; deaden; dampen: A series of failures damped her enthusiasm.
  3. to stifle or suffocate; extinguish: to damp a furnace.
  4. to check or retard the action of (a vibrating string); dull; deaden.
  5. to cause a decrease in amplitude of (successive oscillations or waves).
  6. to undergo damping-off.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
See also: