Moisture is a small amount of water present in something, usually in the form of tiny droplets you can't see individually. When you touch a cold glass of lemonade on a summer day, the dampness you feel on the outside is moisture from the air that has condensed on the cool surface. When a baker says a cake has good moisture, she means it contains enough water to stay soft and tender instead of becoming dry and crumbly.

The word describes water in amounts too small to pour or puddle. Your skin needs moisture to stay healthy and flexible. Soil needs moisture for seeds to sprout and grow. Even the air around you contains moisture, which is why weather forecasters talk about humidity, the amount of moisture in the atmosphere.

You'll often hear moisture contrasted with dryness. A moisturizer is a lotion that adds moisture to your skin. When you open a bag of chips and it says “do not eat” on that little packet inside, that packet absorbs moisture to keep the chips crispy. Without enough moisture, bread becomes stale, plants wilt, and your lips get chapped. But moisture in the wrong place, like in your phone or between window panes, can cause problems by encouraging mold or rust.