damper
damper Lexical Profile
damper Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A person, event, or circumstance that has a subduing, discouraging, or restraining effect on enthusiasm or activity.
"The sudden thunderstorm put a damper on our plans for an outdoor graduation party."
A movable metal plate or valve in a chimney, flue, stove, or ventilation duct used to regulate airflow and control the draft.
"Make sure to open the fireplace damper before lighting the logs so the smoke does not fill the living room."
A mechanical device or pad that reduces or stops mechanical oscillations, shocks, or acoustic vibrations, such as the felt pad that silences a piano string.
"When the pianist releases the sustain pedal, the felt damper drops back onto the string to stop the note from ringing."
Australian A traditional unleavened or soda-leavened bread made from wheat flour, water, and salt, historically baked in the hot ashes of a campfire.
"Around the evening campfire in the outback, we tore off warm pieces of freshly baked damper and dipped them in golden syrup."
• adjective
Slightly wetter or more humid; comparative form of damp.
"The basement felt noticeably damper after three consecutive days of heavy rain."
• Rhymes for damper
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in the mid-18th century as an agent noun from the verb damp (meaning to stifle, choke, or check a fire or vibration), which derives from Middle Low German dampen. The Australian culinary sense arose in the early 19th century because the bread was baked directly in the ashes used to damp down a campfire.