dam
/ˈdæm/ noun, verb, interjection, adjective
Forms dams damming dammed dam'
- noun A structure placed across a flowing body of water to stop the flow or part of the flow, generally for purposes such as retaining or diverting some of the water or retarding the release of accumulated water to avoid abrupt flooding. “A dam is often an essential source of water to farmers of hilly country.”
- noun The water reservoir resulting from placing such a structure. “Boats may only be used at places set aside for boating on the dam.”
- noun (dentistry) A device to prevent a tooth from getting wet during dental work, consisting of a rubber sheet held with a band.
- noun (South Africa, Australia) A reservoir.
- noun A firebrick wall, or a stone, which forms the front of the hearth of a blast furnace.
- verb (transitive) To block the flow of water.
- noun Female parent, mother, generally regarding breeding of animals.
- noun A kind of crowned piece in the game of draughts.
- noun (India) An obsolete Indian copper coin, equal to a fortieth of a rupee.
- noun A former coin of Nepal, 128 of which were worth one mohar.
- interjection (slang or pronunciation spelling) Damn.
Synonyms
dental dam oral dam dike dyke decameter dekameter decametre dekametre dkm dam up
Etymology
From Middle English dam, from Old English *damm, from Proto-West Germanic *damm, from Proto-Germanic *dammaz.
Variant of dame. Doublet of domina and donna.
From Hindi दाम (dām), from Sauraseni Prakrit 𑀤𑀫𑁆𑀫 (damma, “coin”), from Sanskrit द्रम्म (drammá), from Ancient Greek δραχμή (drakhmḗ). Doublet of drachm, drachma, and dram.
Alternatively said to be possibly coined from the English phrase "I don't give a dam(n)," referring to its small worth.
Pronunciation spelling of damn.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A female parent; --used of beasts, especially of quadrupeds; sometimes applied in contempt to a human mother.
- noun A kind or crowned piece in the game of draughts.
- noun A barrier to prevent the flow of a liquid; esp., a bank of earth, or wall of any kind, as of masonry or wood, built across a water course, to confine and keep back flowing water.
- noun A firebrick wall, or a stone, which forms the front of the hearth of a blast furnace. Dam plate (Blast Furnace), an iron plate in front of the dam, to strengthen it.
Etymology [OE. dame mistress, lady; also, mother, dam. See Dame.]
Etymology [Akin to OLG., D., & Dan. dam, G. & Sw. damm, Icel. dammr, and AS. fordemman to stop up, Goth. Faúrdammjan.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “dam”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details