damper

[ dam-per ]
/ ˈdæm pər /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR damper ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a person or thing that damps or depresses: His glum mood put a damper on their party.
a movable plate for regulating the draft in a stove, furnace, etc.
Music.
  1. a device in stringed keyboard instruments to deaden the vibration of the strings.
  2. the mute of a brass instrument, as a horn.
Electricity. an attachment to keep the indicator of a measuring instrument from oscillating excessively, as a set of vanes in a fluid or a short-circuited winding in a magnetic field.
Machinery. a shock absorber.
Australian.
  1. a round, flat cake made of flour and water, and cooked over a campfire.
  2. the dough for such cakes.

Origin of damper

First recorded in 1740–50; damp + -er1

Words nearby damper

damp-dry, damp-mop, damp-proof, dampcourse, dampen, damper, damper pedal, dampier, damping, damping off, damping-off

Definition for damper (2 of 2)

Origin of damp

1300–50; Middle English (in sense of def. 4); compare Middle Dutch damp, Middle High German dampf vapor, smoke

synonym study for damp

1. Damp, humid, moist mean slightly wet. Damp usually implies slight and extraneous wetness, generally undesirable or unpleasant unless the result of intention: a damp cellar; to put a damp cloth on a patient's forehead. Humid is applied to unpleasant dampness in the air: The air is oppressively humid today. Moist denotes something that is slightly wet, naturally or properly: moist ground; moist leather.

OTHER WORDS FROM damp

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH damp

damp moist (see synonym study at the current entry) damp dampen

Words related to damper

restraint, depressant, chill

Example sentences from the Web for damper

British Dictionary definitions for damper (1 of 2)

damper
/ (ˈdæmpə) /

noun

a person, event, or circumstance that depresses or discourages
put a damper on to produce a depressing or inhibiting effect on the bad news put a damper on the party
a movable plate to regulate the draught in a stove or furnace flue
a device to reduce electronic, mechanical, acoustic, or aerodynamic oscillations in a system
music the pad in a piano or harpsichord that deadens the vibration of each string as its key is released
mainly Australian and NZ any of various unleavened loaves and scones, typically cooked on an open fire

British Dictionary definitions for damper (2 of 2)

damp
/ (dæmp) /

adjective

slightly wet, as from dew, steam, etc
archaic dejected

noun

verb (tr)

See also damp off

Derived forms of damp

dampish, adjective damply, adverb dampness, noun

Word Origin for damp

C14: from Middle Low German damp steam; related to Old High German demphen to cause to steam

Idioms and Phrases with damper

damper

see put a damper on.