humidityHUMID'ITY, n. Moisture; dampness; a moderate degree of wetness which is perceptible to the eye or touch, occasioned by the absorption of a fluid, or its adherence to the surface of a body. When a cloth has imbibed any fluid to such a degree that it can be felt, we call it humid; but when no humidity is perceptible, we say it is dry. Quicksilver communicates no humidity to our hands or clothes, for it does not adhere to them; but it will adhere to gold, tin and lead, and render them humid and soft to the touch. |