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damp·er (dămpər)
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n.
1. One that deadens, restrains, or depresses: Rain put a damper on our picnic plans.
2. An adjustable plate, as in the flue of a furnace or stove, for controlling the draft.
3. Music
a. A device in various keyboard instruments for deadening the vibrations of the strings.
b. A mute for various brass instruments.
4. A device that eliminates or diminishes vibrations or oscillations, as of a magnetic needle.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2020 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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