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Glite Dictionary
damp course

damp course

7.9
A layer of waterproof material at the bottom of walls near the ground that stops moisture rising
  • noun
  • UK
translation icon : capa impermeable
  • Without a proper damp course, the walls of the basement became damp and moldy.

Examples

  • "I can't afford a damp course and I'm not gonna have "mould growing in my hall."

    Steaming (1985)

  • The builder installed a damp course to protect the house from rising moisture.

  • The architect recommended adding a damp course to prevent water damage in the new home.

Synonyms

damp-proof course
vsdamp course
  • UK
6.8

A layer of waterproof material in a wall near the ground that stops water rising

has the same meaning but uses an alternative term for that layer

Surface Forms

damp course singular
damp courses plural

Morphology

damp + course

The phrase composes straightforwardly from 'damp' (moisture) + 'course' (a continuous row or layer of bricks/stones), so a learner who knows both senses can infer it denotes a layer related to moisture. Though it is a technical building term describing an impermeable layer to stop rising damp, the function and structure are compositionally clear, making it transparent to B1 learners who know the constituents.

Etymology

Damp course comes from building work: a course is a layer of bricks and damp means wet. So a damp course is like a waterproof belt near the ground that stops wet rising into the walls, which is why it means 'the layer that protects a building from moisture'.