damper

noun

damp·​er ˈdam-pər 

1

: a dulling or deadening influence

put a damper on the celebration

2

: a device that damps: such as

a

: a valve or plate (as in the flue of a furnace) for regulating the draft

b

: a small felted block to stop the vibration of a piano string

c

chiefly British : shock absorber

3

Australia : a simple usually unleavened bread of a kind made originally in the Australian bush

Synonyms

• mute

Examples of damper in a Sentence

the pianist used the damper pedal on the piano for the quiet passages

Recent Examples on the Web

The upper trims with their electronic dampers can mitigate some of that, though. —Aaron Turpen, New Atlas, 5 Aug. 2024

What the pilots noticed during the Boeing 737 MAX 8 flight On May 25, the day of the flight, the captain who flew the plane noticed a previous yaw damper overcorrection was mentioned in the logbook before taking off. —Michael Salerno, The Arizona Republic, 10 July 2024

Body roll was imperceptible at somewhat respectful public road speeds, too, thanks to adaptive dampers bolted up to a MacPherson strut front and multi-link rear suspension. —Peter Nelson, Ars Technica, 1 June 2024

The plane underwent routine maintenance two days before the Phoenix-Oakland flight, and investigators observed that movements of the rudder pedal began to occur when yaw damper, which is intended to reduce rocking and rolling motions of the plane, was activated, the report stated. —Michael Salerno, The Arizona Republic, 10 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1707, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing damper

• put a damper on

Kids Definition

damper

noun

damp·​er ˈdam-pər 

: one that damps : as

a

: a valve or plate (as in the flue of a furnace) for regulating the draft

b

: a device (as one of the felt-covered pieces of wood in a piano) used to deaden vibrations or oscillations

c

: a dulling or deadening influence

put a damper on the celebration