dew
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(dū, dyū) 
n.
To wet with or as if with dew.
n.
- Water droplets condensed from the air, usually at night, onto cool surfaces.
- Something moist, fresh, pure, or renewing: "The timely dew of sleep/. . . inclines/Our eye-lids" (John Milton).
- Moisture, as in the form of tears or perspiration, that appears in small drops.
To wet with or as if with dew.
[Middle English deu, from Old English dēaw.]
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Deposit of water droplets formed at night by the condensation of water vapour from the air onto the surfaces of exposed objects. Dew forms on clear nights, when exposed surfaces lose heat by radiation and are thus usually colder than the air. The cold surface cools the air in its vicinity, and, if the air is humid enough, it may cool below its dew point, the temperature at which water vapour condenses out of the air onto the surface. frost.
For more information on dew, visit Britannica.com.
The deposit of liquid water resulting from condensation of atmospheric water vapor to exposed surfaces that cool during the night. Dewfall is noticeable in the early morning after a calm, cool, clear night, usually as beads of liquid water on the outside and upward-facing surfaces of trees, buildings, and so forth. If the ground is moist, some of the condensed water can be evaporated surface moisture. Dew forms when the surface temperature drops sufficiently to saturate air in contact with the surface (that is, when the surface drops to below atmospheric dew-point temperature); when the surface cools to below freezing temperature, frost occurs. See also Dew point; Frost.
Hygroscopic particles on surfaces can act as sites for condensation at temperatures higher than the atmospheric dew-point temperature. Thus, if a surface is not clean, the first deposit of moisture from the air can occur well before the surface cools to dew-point temperature. For some chemicals, such as common salt, condensation can start to occur when the local relative humidity reaches 80%; the humidity must be 100% in the case of a clean surface. Some desert plants exude hygroscopic salts from the interior of leaves which provide preferred sites for condensation and thereby create a supply of water for the plant. See also Humidity.
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A type of condensation where water droplets form on the ground, or on objects near the ground. Dew forms when strong night-time terrestrial radiation causes the ground to cool. At the end of a clear night, air in contact with the ground may be chilled to dew point. If this cooling brings about temperatures below 0 °C, frost rather than dew will form.
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dew, thin film of water that has condensed on the surface of objects near the ground. Dew forms when radiational cooling of these objects during the nighttime hours also cools the shallow layer of overlying air in contact with them, causing the condensation of some water vapor. This condensation occurs because the capacity of air to hold water vapor decreases as the air is cooled. The temperature at which condensation begins, for a sample of air with a given water vapor content, is termed the dew point. If a dew point temperature below 32°F (0°C) is reached, sublimation occurs, i.e., the water vapor converts directly to frost. Should the surface temperature drop below 32°F after the dew has already collected, the dew may freeze into so-called white dew. Most authorities account for the supply of water vapor as coming from the atmosphere, though some research suggests that it also diffuses up through the soil and then condenses on the ground surface if conditions are favorable. Dew forms most readily on those surfaces that lose heat through radiation most efficiently but are nevertheless insulated from external heat sources. Dew formation is favored by high humidity in the lowest layers of air, which either supplies the moisture or at least inhibits the evaporation of the dew already deposited. Strong winds inhibit dew formation because they mix a larger layer of air, creating a more homogeneous distribution of heat and water vapor; under such circumstances it is unlikely that a sufficiently cool and damp layer of air can form near the ground.
Word Tutor:
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dew
IN BRIEF: n. - Water that has condensed on a cool surface overnight from water vapor in the air.
Without dew and light flowers fade.
— De Gentis
Tutor's tip: She thought it was her "due" (credit for accomplishments) to "do" (to act; effect) a toast with the "doux" (very sweet) champagne on the lawn covered in morning "dew" (condensed moisture forming drops).
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as in: droplets of water that form on cool surfaces at night
sign description: The W hand taps the chin, followed by one hand rubbing across the back of the opposite hand.
sign description: The W hand taps the chin, followed by one hand rubbing across the back of the opposite hand.
Wiley Dictionary of Flavors:
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Dew Point
Random House Word Menu:
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categories related to 'dew'
- Disasters and Phenomena - dew: moisture condensed at night on surfaces of cool objects
See crossword solutions for the clue Translations:
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Dew
Dansk (Danish)
n. - dug, dugfald
v. tr. - dugge, blive dugvåd
abbr. - radarvarslingssystem
Français (French)
n. - rosée
v. tr. - humecter de rosée
abbr. - (abrév = distant early warning) système de radars
Deutsch (German)
n. - Tau
v. - betauen
abbr. - (NAm) Frühwarnsystem
Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - δρόσος, δροσοσταλίδες, πάχνη, υγρασία από σταγονίδια (π.χ. δάκρυα, ιδρώτα)
Português (Portuguese)
n. - orvalho (m)
Español (Spanish)
n. - rocío, humedad
v. tr. - rociar
abbr. - advertencia anticipada remota
中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
远程预警, 远距离早期警戒网
露, 露水, 清新, 纯洁, 朝气, 用露水沾湿
中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
abbr. - 遠端預警, 遠距離早期警戒網
n. - 露, 露水, 清新, 純潔, 朝氣
v. tr. - 用露水沾濕
한국어 (Korean)
n. - 이슬, 신선함
v. tr. - 이슬로 젖게 하다, 축축하게 하다
abbr. - Distance early Warning(원거리 조기 경계망)
العربيه (Arabic)
(الاسم) الندى, شئ ندي أو رطب وبخاصه عندما يكون كقطرات صغيرة مثل الدموع أو العرق
עברית (Hebrew)
n. - טל, (ר"ת) אזהרה מוקדמת מרחוק, טריות
v. tr. - לחלח (טל)
abbr. - מערכת מכ"ם בצפון אמריקה להבחנה מוקדמת בהתקפת טילים
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