Humidity

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Humidity \Hu*mid"i*ty\, n. [Cf. F. humidit['e].]
     1. Moisture; dampness; a moderate degree of wetness, which is
        perceptible to the eye or touch; -- used especially of the
        atmosphere, or of anything which has absorbed moisture
        from the atmosphere, as clothing.
        [1913 Webster]


  
     2. Specifically: The content of water vapor in the air,
        expressed as a percent of the maximum amount of water
        vapor that the air can hold at the given temperature; also
        called {relative humidity}. The capacity of the air to
        hold moisture increases with temperature, so if the
        temperature changes without changing the absolute content
        of the atmospheric moisture, the relative humidity will
        also change.
        [PJC]
  
     {relative humidity} Same as {humidity}[2].
        [PJC]
  
     Note: In hygrometrical reports (as of the United States
           Signal Service) complete saturation of the air by water
           vapor is designated by a relative humidity of 100, and
           its partial saturation by smaller numbers in direct
           proportion to the actual content of water vapor.
           [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  humidity
       n : wetness in the atmosphere [syn: {humidness}]