| damp | 1. Moisture; humidity; fog; fogginess; vapor. "Night . . . With black air Accompanied, with damps and dreadful gloom." (Milton) 2. Dejection; depression; cloud of the mind. "Even now, while thus I stand blest in thy presence, A secret damp of grief comes o'er my soul." (Addison) "It must have thrown a damp over your autumn excursion." (J. D. Forbes) 3. <chemical> A gaseous prodact, formed in coal mines, old wells, pints, etc. Choke damp, a damp consisting principally of carboni acid gas; so called from its extinguishing flame and animal life. See Carbonic acid, under Carbonic. Damp sheet, a curtain in a mine gallery to direct air currents and prevent accumulation of gas. Fire damp, a damp consisting chiefly of light carbureted hydrogen; so called from its tendence to explode when mixed with atmospheric air and brought into contact with flame. Origin: Akin to LG, D, & Dan. Damp vapor, steam, fog, G. Dampf, Icel. Dampi, Sw. Damb dust, and to MNG. Dimpfen to smoke, imp. Dampf. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| damping | Bringing a mechanism to rest with minimal oscillation; e.g., in echocardiography, electrical or mechanical loading to reduce duration of echo, transmitter pulse, and transmitter complex. Origin: M.E. Damp, poisonous vapor (05 Mar 2000) |
| after damp | An irrespirable gas, remaining after an explosion of fire damp in mines; choke damp. See Carbonic acid. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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