Definition of "moist"

Will theſe moyſt Trees,That haue out-liu'd the Eagle, page thy heelesAnd skip when thou point'ſt out?

c. 1605–1608, William Shakespeare, “The Life of Tymon of Athens”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act IV, scene iii], page 92, column 2

And [the Angel of the Lord] made the mids of the fornace, as it had bene a moiſt whiſtling wind, ſo that the fire touched them not at all, neither hurt nor troubled them.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], Prayer of Azariah, verse 26, column 1

[Y]et the North-ſide [of the pyramids of Giza] moſt worne, by reaſon of the humiditie of the Northerne wind, which here is the moiſteſt.

1625, [Samuel] Purchas, “Relations of Africa, Taken Out of Master George Sandys His Larger Discourse Obserued in His Iourney, Begun Ann. 1610. Lib. 2.”, in Purchas His Pilgrimes. […], 2nd part, London: […] William Stansby for Henrie Fetherstone, […], 6th book, § III (The Pyramides Viewed, Sphynx and Other Antiquities. Iourney from Cairo to Gaza.), page 908

[W]e ſee Swines and Pigs Fleſh is the Moiſteſt of Fleſhes.

1631, Francis [Bacon], “V. Century. [Experiments in Consort, Touching the Melioration of Fruits, Trees, and Plants.]”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], 3rd edition, London: […] William Rawley; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], paragraph 465, page 117

Whilſt thee the ſhores, and ſounding SeasWaſh far away, where ere thy bones are hurld,Whether beyond the ſtormy Hebrides,Where thou perhaps under the whelming tideViſit'ſt the bottom of the monſtrous world;Or whether thou to our moiſt vows deny'd,Sleep'ſt by the fable of Bellerus old, […]That is, “tearful vows”: compare sense 2.

1637, John Milton, “Lycidas”, in Poems of Mr. John Milton, […], London: […] Ruth Raworth for Humphrey Mosely, […], published 1646, page 63

[T]he WindsBlow moiſt and keen, ſhattering the graceful locksOf theſe fair ſpreading Trees; […]

1667, John Milton, “Book IX”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […]; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, lines 1065–1066

After every watering, which need not be above twice or thrice in every Summer, ſo they may be thoroughly wet, be ſure to make up the Hills, wherein holes for the water had been made, with ſome parings, and with the weeds, and cooleſt and moiſteſt Materials that can be got.

1704, Nathan Bailey, “HOP”, in Dictionarium Rusticum & Urbanicum: Or, A Dictionary of All Sorts of Country Affairs, Handicraft, Trading, and Merchandizing. […], London: […] J. Nicholson, […], column 1

Nor was it that the figs were moist and pulpy, or that the French plums blushed in modest tartness from their highly-decorated boxes, […]: but the customers were all so hurried and so eager in the hopeful promise of the day, that they tumbled up against each other at the door, […]

1843 December 19, Charles Dickens, “Stave Three. The Second of the Three Spirits.”, in A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas, London: Chapman & Hall, […], pages 83–84

Joseph Smith, a diffident, conscientious young man with moist hands and an awkward, absent-minded manner, was head gardener at Wotton Vanborough.

1937 November 1, “Books: Modernist Miracle: The Gardener Who Saw God—Edward James—Scribner ($2.50) [book review]”, in Time‎, New York, N.Y.: Time Inc., archived from the original on 10 November 2021

'The other car didn't explode,' continues Abu Shujaa. 'The explosives were a bit moist. They had been stored in a place that was too humid. […]'

2011, Dominic Streatfeild, “Stuff Happens”, in A History of the World since 9/11, London: Atlantic Books, page 192

[H]aue you not a moiſt eie, a dry hand, a yelow cheeke, a white beard, a decreaſing leg, an increaſing belly? […] and will you yet call your ſelfe yong? fie, fie, fie, ſir Iohn.

c. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Second Part of Henrie the Fourth, […], quarto edition, London: […] V[alentine] S[immes] for Andrew Wise, and William Aspley, published 1600, [Act I, scene ii]

Come, the other are conſiderations, when wee come to haue gray heads, and weake hammes, moiſt eyes, and ſhrunke members. Wee'll thinke on 'hem then; then wee'll pray, and faſt.

1609 December (first performance), Benjamin Jonson [i.e., Ben Jonson], “Epicoene, or The Silent Woman. A Comœdie. […]”, in The Workes of Ben Jonson (First Folio), London: […] Will[iam] Stansby, published 1616, Act I, scene i, page 531

And on the banner which stood nearHe glanced a look of holy pride,And his moist eyes were glorified; […]

a. 1851, William Wordsworth, “The White Doe of Rylstone”, in Henry [Hope] Reed, editor, The Complete Poetical Works of William Wordsworth, Philadelphia, Pa.: Hayes & Zell, […], published 1860, canto II, page 332, column 2

At this the tender sound of his own voiceAnd sweet self-pity, or the fancy of it,Made his eye moist; but Enid fear'd his eyes,Moist as they were, wine-heated from the feast; […]

1859, Alfred Tennyson, “Enid”, in Idylls of the King, London: Edward Moxon & Co., […], page 64

Eyes moist, he [Maurice Stans] hugged one of his attorneys and later said: "I feel like I've been reborn."

1974 December 6, “Trials: Mitchell and Stans: Not Guilty”, in Time‎, New York, N.Y.: Time Inc., archived from the original on 10 November 2021

Ye Swains, invoke the Pow'rs who rule the Sky,For a moiſt Summer, and a Winter dry:For Winter drout rewards the Peaſant's Pain,And broods indulgent on the bury'd Grain.

1697, Virgil, “The First Book of the Georgics”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], page 53, lines 145–146

[I]n the year 1752, which we may reckon among ſome of our moiſteſt Summers throughout England, more Rain fell at London than at Plymouth, according to an eſtimate made at both places; […]

1758, William Borlase, “Of the Air, and Weather”, in The Natural History of Cornwall. […], Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] [F]or the author, by W. Jackson; sold by W. Sandby, […], page 6

The time is early in the evening; the weather moist and raw.

1864 May – 1865 November, Charles Dickens, “Mr. Wegg Looks after Himself”, in Our Mutual Friend. […], volume I, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1865, book the first (The Cup and the Lip), page 58

With its mild, moist climate, Britain is uniquely placed to grow good grass. Through the centuries pastures have produced many of our basic foods including our beef and lamb; our poultry and eggs; our milk[,] butter and cheese.

2008 September 8, Graham Harvey, “Steaks are high”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The Guardian‎, London: Guardian News & Media, archived from the original on 14 March 2021

He slid a finger in me, checking to make sure I was moist and ready for him.

2008, Marcia King-Gamble, chapter 14, in Meet Phoenix (Kimani Romance), New York, N.Y.: Kimani Press, page 168

[T]he moiſt ſtarre,Vpon whoſe influence Neptunes Empier ſtands,Was ſicke almoſt to doomeſday with eclipſe, […]

c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: […] (Second Quarto), London: […] I[ames] R[oberts] for N[icholas] L[ing] […], published 1604, [Act I, scene i]

[…] Ergo it behooveth then, that the firſt age, and the firſt ſeaſon of things ſhould beginne in the moiſteſt Signe, which is Aries, and in his head, as the principall of the Members, the Fortreſſe of the Soule, and the Signe of Life.

1621, William of Saluste, Lord of Bartus [i.e., Guillaume de Salluste Du Bartas], “The Fourth Day of the First VVeeke of VVilliam of Salust, Lord of Bartas”, in T. L. D. M. P. [pseudonym; Thomas Lodge], transl., A Learned Summary upon the Famous Poeme of William of Saluste Lord of Bartus. […], London: […] [George Purslowe] for Iohn Grismand […], page 169

Pituita, or Fleagme, is a cold and moiſt humour, begotten of the colder part of the Chylus, (or white iuyce comming of the meat digeſted in the ſtomacke) in the Liuer, his office is to nouriſh, and moiſten the members of the body, which as the tongue, are moued, that they be no ouer-drye.

1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], “Division of the Body. Humours, Spirits.”, in The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed by John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, partition 1, section 1, member 2, subsection 2, page 13

He [Aristotle] made four Elements; the firſt, cold and dry; the ſecond, cold and moiſt; the third, hot and moiſt; and the fourth, hot and dry. […] And Water, being the coldeſt and moiſteſt of all Things, he call'd his ſecond Element, Water.

1728, E[phraim] Chambers, “ELEMENTS”, in Cyclopædia: Or, An Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences; […] In Two Volumes, volumes I (A–H), London: […] James and John Knapton [et al.], page 288, column 2

They [fish] are cold and moiſt, and muſt needs, ſay they, produce juices of the ſame kind, and conſequently are improper to ſtrengthen the body. In this diverſity of opinion, it is the wiſest way to eat our fiſh in the ordinary manner, and pay no great attention to cooks or doctors.

1791, Oliver Goldsmith, “Of Fish in General”, in An History of the Earth, and Animated Nature. […], new edition, volume VI, London: […] F[rancis] Wingrave, successor to Mr. [John] Nourse, […], part I (The Cetaceous Kind), pages 165–166

Neither did the live coals, which were lying about in plenty, burn him; for, being a water-baby, his radical humours were of a moist and cold nature, […]

1862 August – 1863 March, Charles Kingsley, chapter VIII, in The Water-Babies: A Fairy Tale for a Land-Baby, London, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Macmillan and Co., published 1863, page 330

[T]hey launch'd the ship, the mast it boreAdvanc'd, sails hoised, every seat his oarGave with a leather thong. The deep moist thenThey further reach'd.

1614–1615, Homer, “The Eighth Book of Homer’s Odysseys”, in Geo[rge] Chapman, transl., Homer’s Odysses. […], London: […] Rich[ard] Field [and William Jaggard], for Nathaniell Butter, published 1615; republished in The Odysseys of Homer, […], volume I, London: John Russell Smith, […], 1857, page 171, lines 65–68

Th' Arch-Angel Uriel, one of the ſeav'n […] That run through all the Heav'ns, or down to th' EarthBear his [God's] ſwift errands over moiſt and dry,O're Sea and Land: […]

1667, John Milton, “Book III”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […]; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, lines 658 and 661–663