moist
pronunciation
How to pronounce moist in British English:
UK [mɔɪst]
How to pronounce moist in American English:
US [mɔɪst]
-
- Adjective:
- slightly wet
Word Origin
- moist
- moist: [14] Latin mūcidus meant ‘mouldy’ and ‘snivelling’ (it was a derivative of mūcus, source of English mucus). In Vulgar Latin it became altered to *muscidus, which is thought to have branched out in meaning to ‘wet’, and passed in this sense into Old French as moiste – whence English moist. From the 15th to the 17th centuries the derived adjective moisty ‘damp’ existed (it was revived in the 19th century). Musty [16] is thought to have originated as an alteration of it, perhaps under the influence of must ‘grape juice’.=> mucus, musty
- moist (adj.)
- late 14c., "moist, wet; well-irrigated," from Old French moiste "damp, wet, soaked" (13c., Modern French moite), from Vulgar Latin *muscidus "moldy," also "wet," from Latin mucidus "slimy, moldy, musty," from mucus "slime" (see mucus). Alternative etymology [Diez] is from Latin musteus "fresh, green, new," literally "like new wine," from musteum "new wine" (see must (n.1)). If this wasn't the source, it influenced the form of the other word in Old French. Related: Moistly; moistness.
Example
- 1. In each case , something pushes warm , moist air upward quickly .
- 2. They are found in moist forests and create dense thickets .
- 3. Raise affected areas and apply warm , moist compresses to these areas .
- 4. A hearty dinner is served , with spinach pastries , meatloaf and deliciously moist apple cake .
- 5. Somerville also says everyone , no matter how dry or moist their skin , to stop smoking .