dampness

Definition of Dampness in English :

1. damp, dampness, moistness

a slight wetness

WordNet Lexical Database for English. Princeton University. 2010.

Dampness

adj. damp·er, damp·est

1. Slightly wet: a damp sponge.

2. Humid: damp air.

3. Archaic Dejected; depressed.

a. Moisture in the air; humidity: Come in out of the damp.

b. Moisture that lies or has condensed on something: "I saw the damp lying on the bare hedges and spare grass" (Charles Dickens).

2. Foul or poisonous gas that sometimes pollutes the air in coal mines.

3. Archaic

a. Lowness of spirits; depression: "An angry or sorrowful [countenance] throws a sudden damp upon me" (David Hume).

b. A restraint or check; a discouragement: "The issue of arms was so slow as to throw a great damp upon volunteering" (James Franck Bright).

tr.v. damped, damp·ing, damps

1. To make damp or moist; moisten.

2. To suppress or extinguish (a fire) by reducing or cutting off air.

3. To restrain or check; discourage: news that damped our enthusiasm.

4. Music To slow or stop the vibrations of (the strings of a keyboard instrument) with a damper.