English 'moist' from Old French 'moiste' (damp), probably from Vulgar Latin '*mūscidus' (moldy, slimy) or Latin 'musteus' (fresh like new wine).
Slightly wet; damp; having a moderate amount of moisture.
From Old French 'moiste' (damp, wet, fresh), probably from Vulgar Latin '*mūscidus' (moldy, slimy, damp), an alteration of Latin 'mūcidus' (moldy, musty, slimy), from 'mūcus' (mucus, slime, nasal discharge). An alternative derivation traces it to Latin 'musteus' (fresh, new wine-like), from 'mustum' (new wine, grape must), evoking the natural dampness of freshly pressed grapes. A third theory links it to Latin 'humidus' (wet, moist) via a Vulgar Latin intermediary. The tension
The word 'moist' has been repeatedly voted one of the most disliked words in the English language in surveys — a phenomenon linguists call 'word aversion.' Studies suggest the discomfort comes from a combination of the word's phonological properties (the /ɔɪ/ diphthong followed by /st/) and its association with bodily fluids. The word 'must' (unfermented grape juice) may be a relative, connecting moisture to the damp