dew

play

noun \ˈdü also ˈdyü\

Definition of dew

1 meteorology : moisture condensed upon the surfaces of cool bodies especially at night wet with morning dew
2 : something resembling dew in purity, freshness, or power to refresh … the golden dew of sleep … — William Shakespeare
3 : moisture especially when appearing in minute droplets: such asa : tearsb : sweatc botany : droplets of water produced by a plant in transpiration

dew

transitive verb

dewless

play \-ləs\ adjective

See dew defined for English-language learners

See dew defined for kids

Examples of dew in a Sentence

The grass was wet with the morning dew.

Recent Examples of dew from the Web

Humidity levels are moderate as dew points hover within a few degrees of 60.

— jason samenow, Washington Post, "D.C.-area forecast: Hot weather dominates through the Fourth, storm chances slight", 3 July 2017
The humidity in Boise hit a near high as well on Monday, peaking at a dew point of 67 degrees Fahrenheit, which the NWS reported as the second-highest in the last 100 years.

— katy moeller and ruth brown, idahostatesman, "Thunderstorms bring winds up to 60 mph, wildfires due to lightning", 26 June 2017
The humidity is very uncomfortable today, with dew points up near 70 and actual temperatures into the 80s this afternoon.

— fox ct weather team, courant.com, "Hot And Humid For Father's Day", 18 June 2017
However in May and October, temperatures in the middle 70s are easily achieved without the strong winds and in the absence of summer's uncomfortably high dew points.

— tom skilling, chicagotribune.com, "Ask Tom: When are 'beautiful' days with sun, low humidity most likely to occur?", 10 June 2017
An inspiration figure, Ronan’s Lacey is the Statue of Liberty’s kid sister, back when the American Dream still had a fresh dew.

— katey rich, HWD, "Watch Sam Claflin’s Flirting Game Get Outmatched by Rachel Weisz in My Cousin Rachel", 7 June 2017
Those dew points will begin to rise again during the weekend, along with rain chances.

— leigh morgan, AL.com, "Blue skies spotted in parts of Alabama", 7 June 2017
Humidity levels won’t be too uncomfortable as dew points drop a bit into the low 60s.

— rick grow, Washington Post, "PM Update: Showers continuing tonight; increasing sun and warmer on Memorial Day", 28 May 2017
The best time to harvest is midmorning: right after the dew has dried, but before the afternoon sun bakes out the oils.

— ciscoe morris, The Seattle Times, "Basil makes a lovely addition to your garden — and your pesto", 24 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dew'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

This is a deposit of water droplets formed at night by the condensation of water vapor 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 vapor condenses out of the air onto the surface.