Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Covered or saturated with liquid: Describes something that has water or another liquid on its surface or absorbed into it.
   • Containing moisture or volatile components: Describes a substance, like paint or ink, that is not yet dry.
   • Rainy or characterized by precipitation: Describes weather conditions involving rain or other forms of moisture.
   • Producing or secreting milk: Used specifically for female mammals, particularly cows, that are lactating.
   • Permitting the sale of alcohol: In a legal context, describes a region or political platform that does not prohibit the sale of alcoholic beverages.
   • Very drunk: (Informal) Describes a person who is heavily intoxicated.

2. Noun:

   • Wetness caused by water: The state or condition of being damp or moist, often referring to liquid on a surface.
   • Rainy weather: Informal term for rain or damp conditions.
   • A drink, especially of alcohol: (Informal, chiefly British) A serving of an alcoholic beverage.

3. Verb:

   • To make something damp or moist: To cause something to become covered or saturated with a liquid, typically water.
   • To urinate on or in something: (Especially of a child or animal) To accidentally or involuntarily pass urine onto bedding or clothing.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • Take off your wet coat before you catch a cold.
  • Be careful, the paint on the wall is still wet.
  • We had a very wet summer with rain almost every day.
  • The farmer separated the wet cows from the herd for milking.
  • He moved to a wet county where he could buy liquor legally.

• Noun:

  • The wet on the window made it hard to see outside.
  • Come inside out of the wet; you'll get soaked.
  • He stopped at the pub for a quick wet on his way home.

• Verb:

  • Wet the cloth with warm water before cleaning the surface.
  • The little boy is embarrassed because he still wets the bed sometimes.

Advanced Usage

• "wet behind the ears": (Idiom) Inexperienced, naive, or immature.

  • He's still wet behind the ears and needs more training for the job.

• "wet one's whistle": (Idiom, informal) To have a drink, especially an alcoholic one.

  • After the long hike, they stopped to wet their whistles at the local inn.

• "a wet blanket": (Idiom) A person who spoils other people's fun by being gloomy, disapproving, or unenthusiastic.

  • Don't be such a wet blanket; come and join the party!

Variants and Related Words

• Wetness (n): The state or condition of being wet.

  • The wetness of the grass indicated it had rained overnight.

• Wettish (adj): Slightly wet; damp.

  • The towel was still wettish when I tried to use it.

• Wetware (n): (Slang, computing) The human brain or nervous system, as opposed to computer hardware or software.

  • The problem isn't with the computer; it's a wetware issue—the user forgot the password.

Synonyms

• Adjective (for covered in liquid): Damp, moist, soaked, saturated, drenched.
• Verb (to make damp): Dampen, moisten, soak, douse.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Wet down: To sprinkle or soak something with water.
  • They wet down the dusty road before the parade.

Related Idioms

• All wet: (Informal) Completely mistaken or wrong.

  • If you think this plan will fail, you're all wet.

• Like a wet weekend: (Informal, chiefly British) Describing something very dull, depressing, or disappointing.

  • His gloomy attitude made the whole atmosphere feel like a wet weekend.

Adjective

1. very drunk
2. consisting of or trading in alcoholic liquor
   • a wet cargo
   • a wet canteen
3. producing or secreting milk
   • a wet nurse
   • a wet cow
   • lactating cows
4. supporting or permitting the legal production and sale of alcoholic beverages
   • a wet candidate running on a wet platform
   • a wet county
5. containing moisture or volatile components
   • wet paint
6. covered or soaked with a liquid such as water
   • a wet bathing suit
   • wet sidewalks
   • wet weather

Noun

1. wetness caused by water
   • drops of wet gleamed on the window

Verb

1. make one's bed or clothes wet by urinating
   • This eight year old boy still wets his bed
2. cause to become wet
   • Wet your face