dew1
/ˈdjuː
/noun [mass noun]
1Tiny drops of water that form on cool surfaces at night, when atmospheric vapour condenses: the grass was wet with dew [in singular]: a cold, heavy dew dripped from the leaves...
- Adults feed on water drops or dew and are short-lived.
- When our second child was on the way, we purchased a house that was warmer, but sat above a basement that filled with water after every heavy dew.
- Most manufacturers recommend that at least two hours be allowed for paint to dry before sunset if cool temperatures and heavy dew are expected that evening.
1.1 [in singular] A beaded or glistening liquid resembling dew: her body had broken out in a fine dew of perspiration...
- A fine dew of perspiration stood out on her cheeks and forehead.
- ‘What I'm meaning to say’, she began, the dew of tears rimming her eyes, ‘is that I went to the docks and your Dad wasn't there.’
verb [with object] literary
Moisten with drops of liquid: sweat dewed her lashes...
- The light rain had long since finished, damping its cold wet tears on the land below, which was dewed with dots of small wet and cold beads.
- Her hair flew along the current of the wind, her long pretty lashes dewed with tears.
- This afternoon, my skin dewed with a thin sheen of glistening fresh sweat, something snapped.
Origin
Old English dēaw, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch dauw and German Tau (noun), tauen (verb).
Rhymes
DEW2
abbreviation
Distant early warning, a radar system in North America for the early detection of a missile attack: [as modifier]: the DEW line