Moysty

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Slightly wet or damp, especially in a way that feels unpleasant or heavy in the air or on a surface
2. Holding a little water or vapour, so that the surface or air around something feels dewy and humid
3. Describing something that is covered with a thin layer of moisture, such as fog, mist or a soaked fabric

Etymology: "Moysty" is a dialect form of "moisty," meaning damp, close, or gone slightly mouldy, and it survives mainly in Scots and northern English speech. It is "moist" with the adjective-forming suffix "-y," so its interest lies in the older word it grows from. That older word, "moist," has an unexpected origin. It came into English from Anglo-French "moiste," which traces back to Latin "musteus," meaning "new" or "fresh," especially of wine that has not yet fermented. "Musteus" comes from "mustum," or "must," the grape juice fresh from the press. So a term for dampness began as a description of young, unfermented wine, and the sense of wetness developed later.