Mist

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /mɪst/

Definitions

1. A weather occurrence involving a collection of tiny water droplets suspended in the atmosphere can lead to reduced visibility
2. This atmospheric condition features small water particles that impede sight and create a blur in the scenery
3. A fine layer of water droplets hanging in the air near the ground that makes objects appear less clear

Etymology: The English noun "mist" has a surprisingly wide family tree. Its Old English ancestor could mean "darkness" or "dimness of eyesight" as well as weather, a sense that survives in the idea of a misty, clouded view. The same root gave Dutch "mist," Swedish "mist," and Icelandic "mistur," all still meaning fog or haze. The deeper roots reach back to a Proto-Indo-European base meaning "cloud, fog, drizzle," which was passed down through Proto-Germanic "mihstaz." Far from English, the family resemblance shows up in Lithuanian "miglà" (fog) and Sanskrit "megha" (cloud), a link that runs from the Baltic lands to the Indian subcontinent. Within the Germanic branch, the same root also produced verbs for light rain: West Frisian "miegelje" and Dutch dialectal "miggelen" both mean to drizzle. English kept the noun in its weather sense and developed the verb "misten" from Old English "mistian," meaning to become misty or to cover with mist.

Synonyms: fog, haze, smog, vapour, cloud

Antonyms: clarity, clearness, brightness