wet

 
Pronunciation: /wɛt/

adjective (wetter, wettest)

  • 1covered or saturated with water or another liquid: she followed, slipping on the wet rock
  • (of the weather) rainy: a wet, windy evening
  • (of paint, ink, plaster, or a similar substance) not yet having dried or hardened: the waterproofer can easily be washed off while it is still wet
  • (of a baby or young child) having urinated in its nappy or underwear: the baby was wet and needed changing
  • involving the use of water or liquid: wet methods of photography
  • Nautical (of a ship) liable to take in water over her bows or sides.
  • 2British informal showing a lack of forcefulness or strength of character; feeble: they thought the cadets were a bit wet
  • Conservative with liberal tendencies, especially as regarded by right-wing Conservatives: they came across as the most liberal or wet members of the government
  • 3 informal (of a country or region or of its legislation) allowing the free sale of alcoholic drink.
  • (of a person) addicted to or drinking alcohol: our programme depends on our willingness to help other alcoholics, both wet and dry

verb (wets, wetting; past and past participle wet or wetted)

[with object]
  • cover or touch with liquid; moisten: he wetted a finger and flicked through the pages (as noun wetting) it was a velvet cap, and a wetting would ruin it
  • (especially of a baby or young child) urinate in or on: while dreaming the child wet the bed
  • (wet oneself) urinate involuntarily: she was going to wet herself from fear
  • dialect infuse (tea) by pouring on boiling water: she said she’d wet the tea immediately because they must be parched

noun

  • 1 [mass noun] liquid that makes something damp: I could feel the wet of his tears
  • (the wet) rainy weather: the race was held in the wet
  • [count noun] British informal a drink: I took a wet from my bottle
  • 2British informal a person lacking forcefulness or strength of character: there are sorts who look like gangsters and sorts who look like wets
  • a Conservative with liberal tendencies: the wets favoured a change in economic policy
  • 3US a person opposed to the prohibition of alcohol.

Phrases

all wet

North American completely wrong: I may be all wet on this point

wet the baby's head

British informal celebrate a baby’s birth with a drink, typically an alcoholic one.

wet behind the ears

informal lacking experience; immature: he’s a nice young fellow but a bit wet behind the ears

wet through (or to the skin)

with one’s clothes soaked; completely drenched: she was wet through and felt cold

wet one's whistle

informal have a drink: they meet ostensibly to discuss politics, but also to wet their whistles with brandy and soda

Derivatives

wetly

adverb

wetness

noun

wettable

adjective

wettish

adjective

Origin:

Old English wǣt (adjective and noun), wǣtan (verb); related to water

Do not confuse whet with wet. Whet means 'excite someone’s interest or appetite' ( this recipe should whet your appetite), whereas wet means 'covered or saturated with liquid' ( I slipped on the wet rock) or 'make someone or something wet' ( he wet his lips, then spoke).