damper

noun

damp·​er ˈdam-pər 

1

: a dulling or deadening influence

put a damper on the celebration

2

: a device that damps: such as

a

: a valve or plate (as in the flue of a furnace) for regulating the draft

b

: a small felted block to stop the vibration of a piano string

c

chiefly British : shock absorber

3

Australia : a simple usually unleavened bread of a kind made originally in the Australian bush

Synonyms

• mute

Examples of damper in a Sentence

the pianist used the damper pedal on the piano for the quiet passages

Recent Examples on the Web

Modern aircraft often have yaw dampers, which are automatic control systems that use small rudder movements to actively suppress Dutch roll. —Michael Salerno, The Arizona Republic, 14 June 2024

That blackout occurred while the ship was docked, after a crew member mistakenly closed an exhaust damper, causing one of the ship’s diesel engines to stall, according to the NTSB. —Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 15 May 2024

The power outage occurred after a crewmember mistakenly closed an exhaust damper, causing the ship’s engine to stall, investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board said in their preliminary report. —Lea Skene, Fortune, 14 May 2024

Note the instructions engraved in the original damper handle. —Molly Guthrey, Twin Cities, 9 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1707, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing damper

• put a damper on

Kids Definition

damper

noun

damp·​er ˈdam-pər 

: one that damps : as

a

: a valve or plate (as in the flue of a furnace) for regulating the draft

b

: a device (as one of the felt-covered pieces of wood in a piano) used to deaden vibrations or oscillations

c

: a dulling or deadening influence

put a damper on the celebration