dew
noun
moisture condensed from the atmosphere, especially at night, and deposited in the form of small drops upon any cool surface.
dew
1 American
[doo, dyoo]
/ du, dju /
noun
-
moisture condensed from the atmosphere, especially at night, and deposited in the form of small drops upon any cool surface.
-
something like or compared to such drops of moisture, as in purity, delicacy, or refreshing quality.
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moisture in small drops on a surface, as tears or perspiration.
-
Informal.
verb (used with object)
-
dews,
present (3rd person singular)
-
dewed,
past participle, past
-
dewing
present participle
DEW
2
American
[doo, dyoo]
/ du, dju /
dew
British
/ djuː /
noun
-
-
drops of water condensed on a cool surface, esp at night, from vapour in the air
-
( in combination )
dewdrop
-
-
something like or suggestive of this, esp in freshness
the dew of youth
-
small drops of moisture, such as tears
verb
dew
Scientific
/ do̅o̅ /
-
Water droplets condensed from the air, usually at night, onto cool surfaces near the ground. Dew forms when the temperature of the surfaces falls below the dew point of the surrounding air, usually due to radiational cooling.
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See also frost
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
dewsimple
-
dewssimple
-
have dewedperfect
-
has dewedperfect
-
am dewingprogressive
-
are dewingprogressive
-
is dewingprogressive
-
have been dewingperfect progressive
-
has been dewingperfect progressive
Past
-
dewedsimple
-
had dewedperfect
-
was dewingprogressive
-
were dewingprogressive
-
had been dewingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of dew
before 900; Middle English; Old English dēaw; cognate with German Tau, Old Norse dǫgg
Explanation
Dew is moisture caused by condensation of water vapor in the air. Dew is what gets your feet wet when you walk across the grass on a summer morning. Think about a summer night — the sun goes down and the air begins to cool, along with everything that is outside, like grass. Then the sun comes up. The air heats up again, more quickly that the objects. This causes condensation — dew — on grass, plants, car windshields, and so on. Dew quickly evaporates in the sun. That's why you really only see and feel it early in the morning during summer.
Vocabulary lists containing dew
Essential Three-Letter Words, Part 1
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Selection Vocabulary 1, Unit 5
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Spelling Practice, Unit 8
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The higher the dew point rises, the greater the amount of moisture in the air, according to the National Weather Service.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
The dew point, which measures the absolute humidity in the air, has been closer to 70 degrees than 60 for much of the summer, he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
He also came to treasure his time mowing the fairways each morning before the golfers arrived, the dew glistening on the grass while the nibbling, untroubled deer looked on from the rough.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026
That should help run-scoring and dew could have a significant impact, giving an advantage to the chasing side.
From BBC ● Feb. 10, 2026
Across part of the felted roof lay a torn piece of old blanket, wet with dew.
From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams
DEW are now moving into procurement, shipboard integration and operational air-defense networks.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 29, 2026
"The cost of firing one laser or microwave is really the cost of electricity," an expert in DEW systems design told AFP on condition of anonymity.
From Barron's ● Mar. 16, 2026
Umi Patel, the Vice President of consumer insights and analytics at PepsiCo Beverages North America, said the new visual identity "tested positively and drove positive purchase intent across DEW loyalists, Gen Z and millennial consumers."
From Salon ● Oct. 10, 2024
DEW stands for directed energy weapons — which use technology like high-energy lasers instead of projectiles like bullets.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 1, 2023
On Thursday morning all broadcasts broke off to report that the DEW line of radars across Canada had reported objects in the air moving across the North Pole toward the United States.
From Long Ago, Far Away by Murray Leinster
The stillness of noon, the depths of twilight, and the dews and pearls of the morning, are all to be found on the | canvases of this most benevolent and kindhearted man.
From Time Magazine Archive
After long basking on the French Riviera, Somerset Maugham returned to London for a ten-week chill in Britain's foggy-foggy autumnal dews.
From Time Magazine Archive
While the groups that attacked Javits professed to reflect the dews of U.S.
From Time Magazine Archive
He stooped to remove his shoes, damp with the heavy dews of pasture and field.
From "Across Five Aprils" by Irene Hunt
Calmly she bent over him, and kissed the forehead, damp with the dews of death.
From The Catholic World; Volume I, Issues 1-6 A Monthly Eclectic Magazine by E. Rameur
In the Philippines a native combo dewed the eyes of the crew of an LST with a proud performance of Stardust.
From Time Magazine Archive
Their corners were vague, their facades streaked, dewed, smeared.
From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin
A cold sweat dewed on my neck as I descended the stairs.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
In the corner of my eye, I could only see a hint of him—eyes as incandescently blue as the heart of fire, a briar of dark hair dewed with lagoon water.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
I crammed my ribbon tie in my vest pocket and unbuttoned my collar, wiping at the clammy sweat dewed on my neck.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
Sadly not, for the dewing is done by sprinklers, and the baby is alone.
From The New Yorker ● Apr. 5, 2019
He merely found himself abruptly in full possession of his senses, nerves tingling, moisture dewing his forehead, his whole being concentrated in the one act of—listening!
From Shoe-Bar Stratton by George W. Gage
I could see the lips whitening and drying, the forehead dewing with tiny beads of perspiration.
From The Sixth Sense A Novel by Stephen McKenna
Captain West spoke to the mate, who bawled the order along, and the watch, reinforced by the watch below, began dewing up the mainsail and foresail and climbing into the rigging.
From The Mutiny of the Elsinore by Jack London
In our isle’s enchanted hall, Hands unseen thy couch are strewing, Fairy strains of music fall, Every sense in slumber dewing.
From Born to Wander A Boy's Book of Nomadic Adventures by Gordon Stables
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