damage Meaning, Definition & Usage

noun the occurrence of a change for the worse
harm; impairment.
noun loss of military equipment
equipment casualty.
noun the act of damaging something or someone
harm; scathe; hurt.
noun the amount of money needed to purchase something
price; terms.
- the price of gasoline
- he got his new car on excellent terms
- how much is the damage?
noun any harm or injury resulting from a violation of a legal right
wrong; legal injury.
verb inflict damage upon
- The snow damaged the roof
- She damaged the car when she hit the tree
verb suffer or be susceptible to damage
- These fine china cups damage easily

OF. damage, domage, F. dommage, fr. assumed LL. damnaticum, from L. damnum damage. See Damn.

Injury or harm to person, property, or reputation; an inflicted loss of value; detriment; hurt; mischief.
He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool cutteth off the feet and drinketh damage. Prov. xxvi. 6.

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.
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. ✍ In common-law action, the jury are the proper judges of damages. Syn. -- Mischief; injury; harm; hurt; detriment; evil; ill. See Mischief.

Cf. OF. damagier, domagier. See Damage, n.

imperfect & past participle Damages ; present participle & verbal noun Damaging

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.

To receive damage or harm; to be injured or impaired in soudness or value; as. some colors in oth damage in sunlight.