dew

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 as

a : tears

b : sweat

c botany : droplets of water produced by a plant in transpiration

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dew

transitive verb

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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

By the time the sun had burned off the morning dew, a Buick Enclave emerged from the Gillespie compound.

— marc fisher, Washington Post, "Where in the world is Ed?," 26 Oct. 2017
But the grounds crew still has to deal with one scourge: morning dew.

— jeremy fuchs, SI.com, "Changing Over StubHub from Soccer to Football: An All-Nighter in L.A.," 18 Oct. 2017
Solar cells and a wind turbine provide power, while the Ecocapsule’s shell is thermally insulated and the domed roof allows rain and dew to be collected, then filtered for drinking water.

— wendy goodman, The Cut, "This Eco-Friendly Pod-on-Wheels Could Redefine Off-the-Grid Living," 6 Oct. 2017
While Hurricane Irma may have interrupted swimming schedules for a dew weeks, local swimmers shined in the 54th annual Woodson Invitational at the Pine Crest School pool.

— Sun-Sentinel.com, "Local swimmers excel despite Jacksonville Bolles sweeping Woodson Invitational," 23 Sep. 2017
The computation is extremely complicated and calculators have been developed using inputs of temperature and relative humidity or dew point.

— tom skilling, chicagotribune.com, "Ask Tom: How do you determine the heat index?," 19 July 2017
The air temperature combined with dew points in the 70s will send the heat index up to 105 degrees or higher, which means heat advisories could be possible for parts of the state, according to the weather service.

— leigh morgan, AL.com, "Hottest temperatures of the summer coming up for parts of Alabama," 19 July 2017
They're formed when ice crystals floating in the water and freeze to the ice surface in the same way frost or dew forms on foggy mornings.

— john d. sutter, CNN, "That huge iceberg should freak you out. Here's why," 14 July 2017
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

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.