—adj. (wetter, wettest)
1 soaked, covered, or dampened with water or other liquid (a wet sponge; a wet surface; got my feet wet).
2 (of the weather etc.) rainy (a wet day).
3 (of paint, ink, etc.) not yet dried.
4 used with water (wet shampoo).
5 Brit. colloq. feeble, inept.
6 Brit. Polit. colloq. Conservative with liberal tendencies, esp. as regarded by right-wing Conservatives.
7 sl. (of a country, of legislation, etc.) allowing the free sale of alcoholic drink.
8 (of a baby or young child) incontinent (is still wet at night).
—v.tr. (wetting; past and past part. wet or wetted)
1 make wet.
2 a urinate in or on (wet the bed). b refl. urinate involuntarily.
—n.
1 moisture; liquid that wets something.
2 rainy weather; a time of rain.
3 Brit. colloq. a feeble or inept person.
4 Brit. Polit. colloq. a Conservative with liberal tendencies (see sense 6 of adj.).
5 colloq. a drink.
Phrases and idioms:
wet the baby's head colloq. celebrate its birth with a (usu. alcoholic) drink. wet behind the ears immature, inexperienced. wet blanket see BLANKET. wet dock a dock in which a ship can float. wet dream an erotic dream with involuntary ejaculation of semen. wet fly an artificial fly used under water by an angler. wet look a shiny surface given to clothing materials. wet-nurse n. a woman employed to suckle another's child.
—v.tr.
1 act as a wet-nurse to.
2 colloq. treat as if helpless. wet pack the therapeutic wrapping of the body in wet cloths etc. wet suit a close-fitting rubber garment worn by skin-divers etc. to keep warm. wet through (or to the skin) with one's clothes soaked. wetting agent a substance that helps water etc. to spread or penetrate. wet one's whistle colloq. drink.
Derivatives:
wetly adv. wetness n. wettable adj. wetting n. wettish adj.
Etymology: OE waeligt (adj. & n.), waeligtan (v.), rel. to WATER: in ME replaced by past part. of the verb
Useful english dictionary. 2012.