dew

[ doo, dyoo ]

/ du, dyu /

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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.

moisture in small drops on a surface, as tears or perspiration.

Informal.

verb (used with object)

to wet with or as with dew.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of dew

before 900; Middle English; Old English dēaw; cognate with German Tau,Old Norse dǫgg

OTHER WORDS FROM dew

dewless, adjectiveun·dewed, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH dew

dew , do, due

Other definitions for dew (2 of 2)

DEW

[ doo, dyoo ]

/ du, dyu /

distant early warning.

Compare DEW line.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use dew in a sentence

Nearer came the sounds and louder, as they spread towards the fort through thickening shadows and the white dews of night.
Menotah|Ernest G. Henham
None of your vales, nor your dews and your roses—and your flowery fields, and your myrtle groves.
The Hubble-Shue|Christian Carstairs
And not Israel alone reaped the fruits of his own fine weather, but his dews fell wide.
The Lord of the Sea|M. P. Shiel
Here and there the heavy dews, touched by the moon lances, flung back flames of sapphire, cold and sharp.
The Adventures of Kathlyn|Harold MacGrath

The dampness of the grave-yard clung to me, and the night dews were beginning to fall.
Ernest Linwood|Caroline Lee Hentz

British Dictionary definitions for dew

dew

/ (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 freshnessthe dew of youth

small drops of moisture, such as tears

verb

(tr) poetic to moisten with or as with dew

Word Origin for dew

Old English dēaw; related to Old High German tou dew, Old Norse dögg

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for dew

dew

[ dōō ]

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. See also frost.