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humidity

n.
US //hjuˈmɪdəti// UK //hjuːmˈɪdɪti// hu·mid·i·ty
  1. 1 moisture in the air (n.)
    B1 Intermediate Science

    the amount of water vapour in the air. High humidity often makes the weather feel hotter than it really is.

    the concentration of water vapour in the atmosphere. The term is typically uncountable and refers to the relative or absolute moisture content of the air.

    Example

    The high humidity made it difficult to breathe during our hike in the jungle.

    Example

    Meteorologists predicted that the rising humidity would likely trigger a series of intense thunderstorms across the valley by late afternoon.

    Usage

    Usually functions as an uncountable noun; often modified by adjectives like 'high', 'low', or 'relative'.

    Pitfall
    The weather is very humidity today.
    The weather is very humid today.

    Use the adjective 'humid' to describe the weather, and the noun 'humidity' to talk about the amount of moisture.

Origin

From Middle English humidite, borrowed from Old French humidité, from Medieval Latin hūmiditās, from Latin ūmidus (“damp, moist, wet”). By surface analysis, humid + -ity.

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