moistens

Moistens is the third-person singular present tense of the verb moisten. It means to cause something to become slightly wet or damp.

The action is transitive: a subject moistens an object by applying a liquid or exposing it to moisture. Common contexts include cooking (to moisten bread crumbs or dough to improve texture), horticulture (to moisten soil or potting mix to support seed germination), cleaning (to moisten a cloth or sponge for gentler handling), and medicine or cosmetics (to moisten mucous membranes, lips, or skin before application or care).

Grammatical notes: the base form is moisten; the present tense for third-person singular is moistens; the past tense is moistened or moistened; the present participle is moistening. The noun form moisture refers to the state or quality of being damp, while related verbs such as dampen or moisturize are used in related but distinct senses, often with differing intensity or specificity.

Etymology: moisten derives from the adjective moist, with the English suffix -en added to form a verb meaning “to render moist.” The development mirrors a broader pattern of turning adjectives into verbs to express causation.

See also: dampen, moisturize, hydration, humidity, moisture.