▪ I. dewy, a.
(ˈdjuːɪ)
[OE. déawiᵹ, f. déaw dew: see -y. Not recorded in ME.; prob. formed anew in Mod.Eng. (Cf. MHG. touwec, Ger. thauig, Sw. daggig).]
1. a. Characterized by the presence of dew, abounding with dew; covered or wet with dew.
| a 1000 Cædmon's Exod. 344 (Gr.) Guþcyste onþrang deawiᵹ sceaftum. a 1533 Ld. Berners Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546) S ij b, After the night cometh the dewy mornyng. 1579 Spenser Sheph. Cal. May 316 The deawie night now doth nye. 1667 Milton P.L. i. 743 From Noon to dewy Eve. 1699 Pomfret Past. Ess. Death Q. Mary 4 He found Cosmelia weeping on the dewy ground. 1762 Falconer Shipwr. i. 267 Decking with countless gems the dewy lawn. 1834 H. Martineau Demerara iv. 48 However dewy the evening, she must stand in the grass. 1893 Westm. Gaz. 15 July 2/1 Water-hens were hurriedly gathering dewy slugs. |
b. Affected by the influence of dew.
| 1725 Pope Odyss. xvii. 688 The sun obliquely shot his dewy ray. 1792 S. Rogers Pleas. Mem. i. 215 Twilights dewy tints deceived his eye. 1795 Southey Joan of Arc viii. 133 O'er the landscape spread The dewy light. 1833 H. Martineau Cinnamon & P. iii. 42 The dewy radiance of a morning in paradise. |
2. transf. Wet or moistened, as with dew. In Bot. Appearing as if covered with dew.
| 1577 B. Googe Heresbach's Husb. i. (1586) 44 b, Newe grounde for Meddowe..take such as is ritche, dewye, levell, or a little hanging. 1590 Spenser F.Q. iii. ii. 34 And her faire deawy eies with kisses deare Shee ofte did bathe. 1853 Lynch Self-Improv. ii. 40 His eye..will be clear and calm, and sometimes dewy. 1856 C. M. Yonge Daisy Chain i. xxiv. (1879) 250 Pulling off the spectacles that had become very dewy. |
3. Of the nature or quality of dew, dew-like, moist.
| c 1000 Sax. Leechd. II. 258 Þara breosta biþ deawiᵹ wætung swa swa sie ᵹespat. 1563 W. Fulke Meteors (1640) 36 b, Already resolved into dewy drops of rayne. 1594 Shakes. Rich. III, v. iii. 283, I would these dewy teares were from the ground. 1598 Florio, Nebbiarella, a deawie exhalation, thinner then a cloud. 1635 Swan Spec. M. vi. §2 (1643) 197 Sea-water, when it is boyled, doth evaporate a dewie or waterie humour. 1650 W. Brough Sacr. Princ. (1659) 124 What is my deawy sweat to Thy bloody agony. 1794 Mrs. Radcliffe Myst. Udolpho iv, The vales below were still wrapped in dewy mist. |
4. Of dew, made or consisting of dew. poetic.
| 1820 Keats Isabella xxiv, Ere the hot sun count His dewy rosary on the eglantine. 1821 Shelley Music 15 When the hot noon has drained its dewy cup. 1827 Hood Mids. Fairies lxxix, The buds were hung with dewy beads. |
5. fig. a. Likened in some quality to dew, dew-like; falling gently, vanishing, as the dew. poetic.
| 1611 W. Sclater Key (1629) 188 Those ἐϕίµεροι, diary dewy Christians, whose goodnesse is dissipate as soone as euer the Sunne beholds it. 1667 Milton P.L. ix. 1044 Till dewie sleep Oppress'd them. a 1670 Hacket Abp. Williams ii. (1692) 144 Some of their Ministers that were softened with the dewy drops of his tongue. 1791 Cowper Iliad ii. 41 Awaking from thy dewy slumbers. 1830 Tennyson Ode to Memory i, Strengthen me, enlighten me!.. Thou dewy dawn of memory. |
b. Innocent and trusting; naïve.
| 1958 Times 20 Oct. 3/1 The street-walker..should surely not be played..like the dewy ingenue from Stage Struck. 1962 John o' London's 8 Feb. 139/2 Once as dewy-innocent as the great director. |
6. Comb. (poetic). a. adverbial, as dewy-bright, dewy-dark, dewy-fresh, dewy-warm, etc. b. parasynthetic, as dewy-eyed (also fig. = sense 5 b above.), dewy-feathered, dewy-pinioned, dewy-swarded, etc. OE. had déawiᵹ-feðere = dewy-pinioned.
| a 1000 Cædmon's Gen. 1984 (Gr.) Sang se wanna fuᵹel, deawiᵹ-feðera. ― Exod. 163. 1632 Milton Penseroso 146 Entice the dewy-feathered sleep. 1730–46 Thomson Autumn 961 The dewy-skirted clouds imbibe the sun. 1777 E. Ryves Poems 36 Dewy-pinioned twilight's shadowy reign. 1796 T. Townsend Poems 69 Some dewy-feather'd herald send. 1820 Keats Isabella xxxvii, Its eyes..all dewy bright with love. 1832 Tennyson Œnone 47 Aloft the mountain lawn was dewy-dark, And dewy-dark aloft the mountain pine. 1833 ― Poems 40 Upon the dewy-swarded slope. 1842 ― Gardener's Dau. 45 The fields between Are dewy-fresh. 1847 ― Princ. i. 93 Green gleam of dewy-tassell'd trees. 1864 ― En. Ard. 611 November dawns and dewy-glooming downs. 1938 ‘E. Queen’ Four of Hearts (1939) i. 9 Hollywood agents, fat or thin, tall or short, dewy-eyed or soiled by life. 1960 Guardian 7 Nov. 6/6 He is not..dewy-eyed about young people, but he feels that promotion should come early. |
▪ II. dewy
ME. inf. of dew v.