Condensate is a liquid or solid substance that forms when a gas or vapor is cooled and compressed. The term condensate is often used in the context of air conditioning, where it refers to the water droplets that form on the cold surface of an air conditioner's evaporator coil. In the crossword puzzle, the answer to the clue 'DEW' (3 letters) is 'DEW', which is a type of condensate that forms when water vapor in the air cools and condenses into liquid droplets on surfaces.