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damping

[ dam-ping ]
/ ˈdæm pɪŋ /
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noun Physics.
a decreasing of the amplitude of an electrical or mechanical wave.
an energy-absorbing mechanism or resistance circuit causing this decrease.
a reduction in the amplitude of an oscillation or vibration as a result of energy being dissipated as heat.
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Origin of damping

First recorded in 1750-60; damp + -ing1

Words nearby damping

damp-dry, dampen, damper, damper pedal, Dampier, damping, damping-off, damp-mop, damp off, dampproof, damp squib
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to damping

absorb, bathe, dip, drink, drown, flood, immerse, marinate, moisten, penetrate, saturate, soften, steep, submerge, wash, drench, imbue, infuse, ingrain, permeate

How to use damping in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for damping

damping
/ (ˈdæmpɪŋ) /
noun
moistening or wetting
stifling, as of spirits
electronics the introduction of resistance into a resonant circuit with the result that the sharpness of response at the peak of a frequency is reduced
engineering any method of dispersing energy in a vibrating system
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for damping

damping
[ dăm′pĭng ]
The action of a substance or of an element in a mechanical or electrical device that gradually reduces the degree of oscillation, vibration, or signal intensity, or prevents it from increasing. For example, sound-proofing technology dampens the oscillations of sound waves. Built-in damping is a crucial design element in technology that involves the creation of oscillations and vibrations.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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