damp

Related to damp: dampen

damp down

1. To moisten something. A noun or pronoun can be used between "damp" and "down." I have to damp down my hair before combing it, or else it just sticks straight up.
2. To make a fire or flame less intense. A noun or pronoun can be used between "damp" and "down." The room's getting too hot now, so damp down the fire.
See also: damp, down

damp off

To die after overexposure to water. Typically used in reference to plants and seeds. I'm worried that days of torrential rain will cause the flowers I just planted to damp off.
See also: damp, off

damp squib

Someone or something that disappoints or does not meet expectations. The film got a lot of hype, but I thought it was a bit of a damp squib.
See also: damp, squib
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

damp off

[for seedlings] to die from too much water. All the new plants damped off, and we had to buy some from the nursery. The little seedlings damped off and withered away.
See also: damp, off

damp something down

 
1. Lit. to make something damp. Damp the clothes down before you iron them, Please damp down the clothes first.
2. Fig. to reduce the intensity of a flame, usually by cutting down on the air supply, as with a damper. Please damp the woodstove down. Damp down the air supply or you are going to end up with a raging inferno.
See also: damp, down
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

a damp squib

mainly BRITISH
COMMON A damp squib is something which is much less impressive or exciting than it was expected to be. As a rebellion, it was something of a damp squib. The whole campaign turned out to be a damp squib. Note: A squib is a small firework. A damp squib would not go off properly, and so it would be a disappointment.
See also: damp, squib
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

a damp squib

an unsuccessful attempt to impress; an anticlimax.
This expression stems from the idea that a squib, a type of small firework, will not have the desired explosive effect if it is damp.
See also: damp, squib
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

a damp ˈsquib

(British English, informal) an event, experience, etc. that is expected to be interesting or exciting, but is in fact boring or ordinary: In the end, the party turned out to be rather a damp squib.
A squib is a type of small firework. If it is damp, it will not burn properly.
See also: damp, squib
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • damp down
  • damping
  • ask down
  • bear down
  • chow down
  • chow something down
  • brush down
  • button down
  • bolt down
  • call down
References in periodicals archive
Rising damp is probably the most costly and difficult to deal with.
The mass proportional damping ratio [[xi].sub.[alpha]] damps low-frequency response whereas the stiffness proportional damping ratio [[xi].sub.[beta]] damps high-frequency response [26], because a reasonable value for the mass proportional damping ratio [[xi].sub.[alpha]] could only be achieved with the value in the low-frequency domain while the value for the stiffness proportional damping ratio [[xi].sub.[beta]] could only be achieved with the value in the high-frequency domain.
When artisans fail to comply with standards and specifications in design, the result leads to rising damp [20].
Demand for damp proofing from London Home Counties for older homes
If your home doesn't have a damp-proof course, or it's defective, you'll need a damp specialist to install one.
For nine years the eco-friendly company has used a Dutch system, which provides damp proofing from the outside without the mess of replastering.
According to many machinery manufacturers, however, the variations in case damp technology can result in dramatic production gains and labor savings.
GET THE LOOK Divide damp hair into four sections, securing each with a clip.
The Air-Dryr system is plugged into an outlet, and damp air is heated and released through the vents.
Before you put on the damp rag or use ice on the sides, make sure all screws are screwed down tight and all seals are in good condition.
Chinese Medicine categorizes cinnamon as a Kidney Yang (warming and drying) tonic that chases cold and damp away.
THAT damp patch in the corner may not look like much, but ignore it at your peril.
If they or the gutters leading to them overflow or leak, damp may spread over the walls.
McLachlan, the new nanny, smells the "combined perfumes of beeswax and old dog with an undertone of log fire and full diaper." The full diaper belongs to Baby Damp, a "hairless little wrinkly"--usually wet and usually smelly--who finds some bacon rinds on the floor and stuffs them into the CD-ROM on the computer.
PROPERTY expert Kate Faulkner has urged landlords and agents in the private rented sector (PRS) to tackle head-on the issues of damp, condensation and mould.