I. ˈwet adjective
( wet·ter ; wet·test )
Etymology: Middle English, partly from past participle of weten to wet & partly from Old English wǣt wet; akin to Old Norse vātr wet, Old English wæter water
Date: before 12th century
1.
a. : consisting of, containing, covered with, or soaked with liquid (as water)
b. of natural gas : containing appreciable quantities of readily condensable hydrocarbons
2. : rainy
wet weather
3. : still moist enough to smudge or smear
wet paint
4.
a. : drunk 1a
a wet driver
b. : having or advocating a policy permitting the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages
a wet county
a wet candidate
5. : preserved in liquid
6. : employing or done by means of or in the presence of water or other liquid
wet extraction of copper
7. : overly sentimental
8. British
a. : lacking strength of character : weak , spineless
thought him wet and violence petrified him — William Golding
b. : belonging to the moderate or liberal wing of the Conservative party
• wet·ly adverb
• wet·ness noun
•
- all wet
- wet behind the ears
Synonyms:
wet , damp , dank , moist , humid mean covered or more or less soaked with liquid. wet usually implies saturation but may suggest a covering of a surface with water or something (as paint) not yet dry
slipped on the wet pavement
damp implies a slight or moderate absorption and often connotes an unpleasant degree of moisture
clothes will mildew if stored in a damp place
dank implies a more distinctly disagreeable or unwholesome dampness
a prisoner in a cold, dank cell
moist applies to what is slightly damp or not felt as dry
treat the injury with moist heat
humid applies to the presence of much water vapor in the air
a hot, humid climate
II. noun
Date: before 12th century
1. : water ; also : moisture , wetness
2. : rainy weather : rain
3. : an advocate of a policy of permitting the sale of intoxicating liquors
4. British : one who is wet
III. verb
( wet or wet·ted ; wet·ting )
Etymology: Middle English weten, from Old English wǣtan, from wǣt, adjective
Date: before 12th century
transitive verb
1. : to make wet
2. : to urinate in or on
wet his pants
intransitive verb
1. : to become wet
2. : urinate
• wet·ter ˈwe-tər noun
•
- wet one's whistle