Humidity

Humidity
Humidity Hu*mid"i*ty, n. [Cf. F. humidit['e].] 1. Moisture; dampness; a moderate degree of wetness, which is perceptible to the eye or touch; -- used especially of the atmosphere, or of anything which has absorbed moisture from the atmosphere, as clothing. [1913 Webster]

2. Specifically: The content of water vapor in the air, expressed as a percent of the maximum amount of water vapor that the air can hold at the given temperature; also called {relative humidity}. The capacity of the air to hold moisture increases with temperature, so if the temperature changes without changing the absolute content of the atmospheric moisture, the relative humidity will also change. [PJC]

{relative humidity} Same as {humidity}[2]. [PJC]

Note: In hygrometrical reports (as of the United States Signal Service) complete saturation of the air by water vapor is designated by a relative humidity of 100, and its partial saturation by smaller numbers in direct proportion to the actual content of water vapor. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • Humidity — is the amount of water vapor in the air. In daily language the term humidity is normally taken to mean relative humidity. Relative humidity is defined as the ratio of the partial pressure of water vapor in a parcel of air to the saturated vapor… …   Wikipedia

  • humidity — [hyo͞o mid′ə tē, yo͞omid′ə tē] n. pl. humidities [ME humydite < OFr humidite < LL humiditas < L humidus: see HUMID] 1. moistness; dampness 2. the amount or degree of moisture in the air: see ABSOLUTE HUMIDITY, RELATIVE HUMIDITY …   English World dictionary

  • humidity — late 14c., from O.Fr. humidité, from L. humiditatem (nom. humiditas), from humidus (see HUMID (Cf. humid)) …   Etymology dictionary

  • humidity — [n] very damp weather clamminess, dampness, dankness, dew, dewiness, evaporation, fogginess, heaviness, humectation, humidness, moistness, moisture, mugginess, oppressiveness, sogginess, steam, steaminess, stickiness, sultriness, sweatiness,… …   New thesaurus

  • humidity — /hyooh mid i tee/ or, often, /yooh /, n. 1. humid condition; moistness; dampness. 2. See relative humidity. 3. an uncomfortably high amount of relative humidity: It s not the heat, it s the humidity that tires me out. [1350 1400; ME humydite < L… …   Universalium

  • humidity — noun ADJECTIVE ▪ high, low ▪ ambient (technical), relative ▪ in dry weather, when the ambient humidity is low … OF HUMIDITY ▪ …   Collocations dictionary

  • humidity — [[t]hjuːmɪ̱dɪti[/t]] 1) N UNCOUNT You say there is humidity when the air feels very heavy and damp. The heat and humidity were insufferable. 2) N UNCOUNT Humidity is the amount of water in the air. The humidity is relatively low …   English dictionary

  • humidity —   the water vapour content of the atmosphere. Two main measures are absolute humidity and relative humidity. Humidity is controlled by air temperature (the higher the temperature the more water vapour can be held) and water availability for… …   Geography glossary

  • humidity — Moisture or dampness, as of the air. [L. humiditas, dampness] absolute h. the mass of water vapor actually present per unit volume of gas or air. relative h. the actual amount of water vapor present in the air or in a gas, divided by the amount… …   Medical dictionary

  • humidity — hu|mid|i|ty [hju:ˈmıdıti] n [U] 1.) the amount of water contained in the air ▪ The room is kept at 72 degrees and 50% relative humidity. 2.) when the air is very warm and wet ▪ a day of hot sunshine and humidity …   Dictionary of contemporary English

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