Damper vs dampener

[crispinglovershighkick]

Is dampener an acceptable alternative to damper in the phrase 'put a damper on'?

Dampener is the correct word in that instance surely? Dampener is a noun and damper an adjective I would have thought. Happy to be corrected...

A damper is a device in a piano that is used to reduce the level of the sound produced. Also sometimes called a dampener.

Damper is what we pull across our open fire chimney to control air flow

Oh, you pull the damper out
And you push the damper in
And the smoke goes up the chimney just the same.
Am I the only person in the world who can remember singing that as a child?

I might not have the words quite correct.

The chorus was something like: We were only playing leapfrog, we were only playing leapfrog, we were only playing leapfrog, and the smoke went up the chimney just the same.

The washing was damper when it came in than it was when I put it out.

He put a bit of a dampener on the party when he made that sharp remark.

I guess it can be used to describe something that's less dry than something else but I've never heard it used that way!

I had only ever heard/read the phrase 'put a damper on' until recently when I've seen it written as 'dampener' and I wasn't sure if it was a regional thing.

I read about a damp squid yesterday.

A damper is something we cook on a fire at Guides