damp

a. [ Compar. Damper superl. Dampest. ] 1. Being in a state between dry and wet; moderately wet; moist; humid. [ 1913 Webster ]

O'erspread with a damp sweat and holy fear. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Dejected; depressed; sunk. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

All these and more came flocking, but with looks
Downcast and damp. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

Usury dulls and damps all industries, improvements, and new inventions, wherein money would be stirring if it were not for this slug. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

How many a day has been damped and darkened by an angry word! Sir J. Lubbock. [ 1913 Webster ]

The failure of his enterprise damped the spirit of the soldiers. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To become damp; to deaden. Byron. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. dampened p. pr. & vb. n. dampening. ] 1. To make damp or moist; to make slightly wet. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To depress; to check; to make dull; to lessen. [ 1913 Webster ]

In a way that considerably dampened our enthusiasm. The Century. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. the act or process of making something slightly wet.
Syn. -- moistening. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. That which damps or checks; as: (a) A valve or movable plate in the flue or other part of a stove, furnace, etc., used to check or regulate the draught of air. (b) A contrivance, as in a pianoforte, to deaden vibrations; or, as in other pieces of mechanism, to check some action at a particular time. [ 1913 Webster ]

Nor did Sabrina's presence seem to act as any damper at the modest little festivities. W. Black. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Moderately damp or moist.

-- Damp"ish*ly, adv. -- Damp"ish*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To damn. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]