wet

wet

UK[wɛt]US[wɛt]
adj

Covered or saturated with water or another liquid

adj

(of weather) characterized by rain

v

To make something wet

Etymology

The word 'wet' originates from the Old English 'wǣt', which meant moist or liquid. This term is derived from the Proto-Germanic 'wētaz', sharing a common ancestor with words like Old Norse 'vātr' and Old Frisian 'wēt'. Its ultimate origin is the Proto-Indo-European root 'wed-', meaning water or wet, which is also the source for the word 'water' itself. The core semantic concept of moisture has remained remarkably stable throughout its linguistic evolution into Modern English.

Analysis

The word 'wet' is a simplex word of Old English origin. It functions as a complete, indivisible root.

Examples

The grass was wet with morning dew.

Don't go outside without a coat; it's a wet and windy day.

Be careful not to wet the pages of the book.