Bemoistened

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Restored to a level of dampness after becoming dry
2. Re-applied moisture to an item that had lost its wetness
3. To have caused an object to become wet again after drying out ; to have introduced moisture anew to a previously dried surface

Etymology: "Bemoistened" is the past tense and past participle of "bemoisten," a verb formed from the prefix "be-" and "moisten." The prefix "be-" is an old English element that could turn a verb into one meaning "to affect thoroughly" or "to cover with," as in "besprinkle" or "bedew." "Moisten" itself comes from "moist," which entered English from Old French "moiste" and ultimately from Latin "musteus," meaning fresh or new, a sense that is also linked to "must," the unfermented grape juice. Adding "be-" to "moisten" gives a verb meaning to wet something thoroughly or again, so "bemoisten" describes moistening a surface that had dried out. The word is a straightforward compound, so its interest lies mainly in how the prefix changes the sense of the base verb.

Synonyms: dampened, moistened

Antonyms: dried, dehydrated