moist

adj

Etymology: The adjective is derived from Middle English moist, moiste [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman moist, moiste, moste, Middle French moiste, and Old French moiste, muste (“damp, moist, wet”) (modern French moite); further etymology uncertain, perhaps a blend of a Late Latin variant of Latin mūcidus (“mouldy, musty”) + a Late Latin derivative of Latin mustum (“unfermented or partially fermented grape juice or wine, must”). The noun is derived from the adjective.

1. Characterized by the presence of moisture; not dry; slightly wet; damp.

   “Will theſe moyſt Trees, / That haue out-liu'd the Eagle, page thy heeles / And skip when thou point'ſt out?”

   “And [the Angel of the Lord] made the mids of the fornace, as it had bene a moiſt whiſtling wind, ſo that the fire touched them not at all, neither hurt nor troubled them.”

2. Of eyes: wet with tears; tearful; also (obsolete), watery due to some illness or to old age.

   “[H]aue you not a moiſt eie, a dry hand, a yelow cheeke, a white beard, a decreaſing leg, an increaſing belly? […] and will you yet call your ſelfe yong? fie, fie, fie, ſir Iohn.”

   “Come, the other are conſiderations, when wee come to haue gray heads, and weake hammes, moiſt eyes, and ſhrunke members. Wee'll thinke on 'hem then; then wee'll pray, and faſt.”

3. Of a climate, the weather, etc.: damp, humid, rainy.

   “Ye Swains, invoke the Pow'rs who rule the Sky, / For a moiſt Summer, and a Winter dry: / For Winter drout rewards the Peaſant's Pain, / And broods indulgent on the bury'd Grain.”

   “[I]n the year 1752, which we may reckon among ſome of our moiſteſt Summers throughout England, more Rain fell at London than at Plymouth, according to an eſtimate made at both places; […]”

4. Of the vagina: sexually lubricated due to sexual arousal; of a woman: sexually aroused, turned on.

   “He slid a finger in me, checking to make sure I was moist and ready for him.”

5. Characterized by the presence of some fluid such as mucus, pus, etc.
6. Of sounds of internal organs (especially as heard through a stethoscope): characterized by the sound of air bubbling through a fluid.
7. Pertaining to one of the four essential qualities formerly believed to be present in all things, characterized by wetness; also, having a significant amount of this quality.

   “[T]he moiſt ſtarre, / Vpon whoſe influence Neptunes Empier ſtands, / Was ſicke almoſt to doomeſday with eclipſe, […]”

   “[…] Ergo it behooveth then, that the firſt age, and the firſt ſeaſon of things ſhould beginne in the moiſteſt Signe, which is Aries, and in his head, as the principall of the Members, the Fortreſſe of the Soule, and the Signe of Life.”

8. Fluid, liquid, watery.

   “O pardon me, my liege, but for my teares, / The moiſt impediments vnto my ſpeech, / I had foreſtald this deere and deep rebuke, […]”

   “For the chief, he in whom Pallas pour'd / Her store of counsels, Ithacus, aboard went last, and then / The moist ways of the sea they sail'd.”

9. Bringing moisture or rain.

   “And the moiſt daughters of huge Atlas ſtroue / Into the Ocean deepe to driue their weary droue.”

   “Ere twice in murke and occidentall dampe / Moiſt Heſperus hath quench'd her ſleepy Lampe: […]”

name

1. A surname.

noun

Etymology: The adjective is derived from Middle English moist, moiste [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman moist, moiste, moste, Middle French moiste, and Old French moiste, muste (“damp, moist, wet”) (modern French moite); further etymology uncertain, perhaps a blend of a Late Latin variant of Latin mūcidus (“mouldy, musty”) + a Late Latin derivative of Latin mustum (“unfermented or partially fermented grape juice or wine, must”). The noun is derived from the adjective.

1. Moistness; also, moisture.

   “[T]hey launch'd the ship, the mast it bore / Advanc'd, sails hoised, every seat his oar / Gave with a leather thong. The deep moist then / They further reach'd.”

   “Th' Arch-Angel Uriel, one of the ſeav'n / […] / That run through all the Heav'ns, or down to th' Earth / Bear his [God's] ſwift errands over moiſt and dry, / O're Sea and Land: […]”

verb

Etymology: From Middle English moisten, moist, moiste (“to make moist or wet; to soak in liquid; to become moist or wet; to provide with moisture or water; to satisfy thirst with liquor or water, slake”) [and other forms], and then either: * from Anglo-Norman muster (“to make moist or wet”), Middle French moistir, and Old French moistir (“to make moist or wet; to become moist or wet”) (compare enmoistir; modern French moitir), from Old French moiste, muste (“damp, moist, wet”) (see etymology 1) + -ir (suffix forming infinitives of second conjugation verbs); or * from Middle English moist, moiste (adjective) (see etymology 1), though the adjective is first attested later.

1. To make (something) moist or wet; to moisten.

   “He calleth for a ſponge (ſaith Theodoritus) and therevvith moiſteth and vvaſsheth Simeones mouthe, and then geueth him the holy Sacrament.”

   “They [the legendary Fortunate Isles] haue raine there very ſeldom, howbeit a gentle winde commonly that bloweth in a litle ſiluer dew, which moiſteth the earth ſo finely, that it maketh it fertile and luſtie, not onely to bring forth all that is ſet or ſowen apon it but of it ſelfe without mans hand it beareth ſo good frute, as ſufficiently maintaineth the inhabitants dwelling apon it, liuing idlely, and taking no paines.”

2. To inspire, to refresh (someone); also, to soften (one's heart).
3. To rain lightly; to drizzle.
4. To have an effect of moistening or wetting.

   “Auyſing the bright bemes of theſe fayer Iyes / where he is that myn oft moiſteth & waſſheth”

   “Againe, nothyng moiſteth ſoner then water. Therefore, a wepyng eye cauſeth muche moiſture, and prouoketh teares.”