rising damp.

Moisture that moves upward from the ground into a building's walls through porous material.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• signs of rising damp
• treat rising damp
• wall affected by rising damp

On the page

The survey attributed the tide-like stains to rising damp.

Rising damp had loosened the plaster near the floor.

They tested the wall before accepting the contractor's diagnosis of rising damp.

Usage notes

Primary category: architecture. Not a general term for condensation or a roof leak; a stain alone is not proof of this cause. Mass compound noun; no ordinary plural.