Plural of damper: devices that reduce vibration, moisture, or the force of something, or things that discourage or reduce enthusiasm.
From 'damp' with the agent suffix '-er' and plural '-s.' The word became common in both technical and figurative uses by the 19th century.
A 'damper on things' is now slang for something that ruins the fun—but it literally came from mechanical dampers that stop springs from bouncing wildly!
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