Damper Meaning
/ˈdæmpɚ/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounSomething that damps or checks:
nounSomething that damps or checks:, A valve or movable plate in the flue or other part of a stove, furnace, etc., used to check or regulate the draught of air.
Sentence Examples
Tom always puts a damper on things.
The air grew noticeably cooler and damper.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The broken ____ in the chimney caused smoke to fill the room.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Tom always puts a ____ on things.
Word Origin & History
From damp (verb) + -er. The name of the type of bread is first attested in 1825, and originally likely refers to damping the appetite.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Nor did Sabrina′s presence seem to act as any damper at the modest little festivities."
— 1887, William Black, Sabina Zembra:
"In general, steel springs were stipulated for primary suspension, although rubber was accepted for auxiliary springing; hydraulic dampers were specified and the use of laminated springs ruled out."
— 1960 December, “The first hundred 25 kV a.c. electric locomotives for B.R.”, in Trains Illustrated, page 726:
"However, complaints quickly surfaced about the ride quality of the SIG BT41 bogies, which was only cured by the fitting of additional dampers to the bogies and couplers."
— 2022 September 21, Ben Jones, “IC225s: the Electras go gliding on”, in RAIL, number 966, page 40:
"The flour bespattering Squeaker's now neglected clothes spoke eloquently of his clumsy efforts at damper making."
— 1902, Barbara Baynton, edited by Sally Krimmer and Alan Lawson, Bush Studies (Portable Australian Authors: Barbara Baynton), St Lucia: University of Queensland Press, published 1980, page 15:
"You hypocritically claim that you are trying to ‘protect’ us; but your modern policy of ‘protection’ (so-called) is killing us off just as surely as the pioneer policy of giving us poisoned damper and shooting us down like dingoes!"
— 1938, William Ferguson, John Patten, “Aborigines Claim Citizen Rights!”, in Anita Heiss, Peter Minter, editors, Macquarie PEN Anthology of Aboriginal Literature, Allen & Unwin, published 2008, page 31:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The broken ____ in the chimney caused smoke to fill the room.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Tom always puts a ____ on things.