dew

¹ American  

[doo, dyoo] / du, dyu /

noun

1. moisture condensed from the atmosphere, especially at night, and deposited in the form of small drops upon any cool surface.

2. something like or compared to such drops of moisture, as in purity, delicacy, or refreshing quality.

3. moisture in small drops on a surface, as tears or perspiration.

4. Informal.

   1. Scotch whisky.

   2. mountain dew.

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verb (used with object)

1. to wet with or as with dew.

DEW ² American  

[doo, dyoo] / du, dyu /

1. distant early warning.

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dew British  

/ djuː /

noun

1. 1. drops of water condensed on a cool surface, esp at night, from vapour in the air

   2. ( in combination )

      dewdrop

2. something like or suggestive of this, esp in freshness

   the dew of youth

3. small drops of moisture, such as tears

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verb

1. poetic (tr) to moisten with or as with dew

dew Scientific  

/ do̅o̅ /

1. Water droplets condensed from the air, usually at night, onto cool surfaces near the ground. Dew forms when the temperature of the surfaces falls below the dew point of the surrounding air, usually due to radiational cooling.

2. See also frost

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Other Word Forms

• dewless adjective
• undewed adjective

Etymology

Origin of dew

before 900; Middle English; Old English dēaw; cognate with German Tau, Old Norse dǫgg

Explanation

Dew is moisture caused by condensation of water vapor in the air. Dew is what gets your feet wet when you walk across the grass on a summer morning. Think about a summer night — the sun goes down and the air begins to cool, along with everything that is outside, like grass. Then the sun comes up. The air heats up again, more quickly that the objects. This causes condensation — dew — on grass, plants, car windshields, and so on. Dew quickly evaporates in the sun. That's why you really only see and feel it early in the morning during summer.

Example Sentences

"So we'll be trying to lose the odd toss, but no, you've got to try and factor in the dew, the opposition and what you think the pitch might do."

From Barron's • Feb. 5, 2026

“Dew point,” on the other hand, refers to the temperature at which the air becomes saturated with moisture so that vapor will actually condense into dew.

From Slate • Jun. 25, 2025

“Pulsing Lifters,” in an arrangement for two pianos and harpsichord, is like a delicate dew.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 12, 2025

The reduced staffing could make it more difficult to gather and process the data coming in from across the country — on temperature, wind speed, and dew points, among other things.

From Salon • Apr. 3, 2025

A thin drizzle was falling, so fine it might have been dew, the ground beneath my feet felt like the earth in the early morning and no longer a street.

From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya