Moisture or damp air caused by dew formation, particularly the wet condition of ground or plants covered with morning dew.
From 'dew' (Old English daug) + 'damp' (Middle Dutch damp, from Germanic languages meaning vapor or mist). The compound describes the physical state of dampness created when dew condenses.
Miners used to call the moisture-heavy air in mines 'dewdamp' to distinguish it from other dangerous gases—it was actually one of the safest conditions underground, so the term became a way to signal relief and safety!
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