dew
UK[djuː]US[duː]
n
Tiny drops of water that form on cool surfaces at night, when atmospheric vapor condenses.
Etymology
The word 'dew' descends directly from the Old English 'dēaw', which meant both the noun "dew" and the verb "to moisten." This Old English term finds its source in the Proto-Germanic 'dawwaz', a common ancestor for related words in other Germanic languages, such as Old High German 'tou' and Old Norse 'dögg'. Tracing further back, it is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root 'dʰewh₂-', meaning "to smoke, mist, haze," which conceptually links the formation of mist or vapor to the settling of moisture as dew. The word's journey illustrates a remarkably stable semantic path from an ancient root describing atmospheric moisture to its precise modern meaning for condensed water droplets.
Analysis
The word 'dew' is a simplex word of Old English origin. It does not contain separable modern morphemes within its current spelling.
Examples
The morning grass was sparkling with dew.
A heavy dew had settled on the windshield overnight.
The flowers were still wet with the night's dew.