Word Direct Answers

What does "damage" mean?

Damage: Great errors and absurdities many commit for want of a friend to tell them of them, to the great damage both of their fame and fortune. Bacon.

Additional senses

  1. 2.pl. (Law) The estimated reparation in money for detriment or injury sustained; a compensation, recompense, or satisfaction to one party, for a wrong or injury actually done to him by another. Note: In common-law action, the jury are the proper judges of damages. Consequential damage. See under Consequential. -- Exemplary damages (Law), damages imposed by way of example to others. -- Nominal damages (Law), those given for a violation of a right where no actual loss has accrued. -- Vindictive damages, those given specially for the punishment of the wrongdoer. See Mischief.
  2. 3.To ocassion damage to the soudness, goodness, or value of; to hurt; to injure; to impair. He . . . came up to the English admiral and gave him a broadside, with which he killed many of his men and damaged the ship. Clarendon.
  3. 4.To receive damage or harm; to be injured or impaired in soudness or value; as. some colors in damage in sunlight.

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