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foam
[ fohm ]
noun
- a collection of minute bubbles formed on the surface of a liquid by agitation, fermentation, etc.:
foam on a glass of beer.
- the froth of perspiration, caused by great exertion, formed on the skin of a horse or other animal.
- froth formed from saliva in the mouth, as in epilepsy and rabies.
- a thick frothy substance, as shaving cream.
- (in firefighting)
- a chemically produced substance that smothers the flames on a burning liquid by forming a layer of minute, stable, heat-resistant bubbles on the liquid's surface.
- the layer of bubbles so formed.
- a dispersion of gas bubbles in a solid, as foam glass, foam rubber, polyfoam, or foamed metal.
- Literary. the sea.
verb (used without object)
- to form or gather foam; emit foam; froth.
verb (used with object)
- to cause to foam.
- to cover with foam; apply foam to:
to foam a runway before an emergency landing.
- to insulate with foam.
- to make (plastic, metal, etc.) into a foam.
foam
/ fəʊm /
noun
- a mass of small bubbles of gas formed on the surface of a liquid, such as the froth produced by agitating a solution of soap or detergent in water
- frothy saliva sometimes formed in and expelled from the mouth, as in rabies
- the frothy sweat of a horse or similar animal
- any of a number of light cellular solids made by creating bubbles of gas in the liquid material and solidifying it: used as insulators and in packaging
- ( as modifier )
foam rubber
foam plastic
- a colloid consisting of a gas suspended in a liquid
- a mixture of chemicals sprayed from a fire extinguisher onto a burning substance to create a stable layer of bubbles which smothers the flames
- a poetic word for the sea
verb
- to produce or cause to produce foam; froth
- intr to be very angry (esp in the phrase foam at the mouth )
foam
/ fōm /
- Small, frothy bubbles formed in or on the surface of a liquid, as from fermentation or shaking.
- A colloid in which particles of a gas are dispersed throughout a liquid.
- Compare aerosol
Derived Forms
- ˈfoamˌlike, adjective
- ˈfoamless, adjective
Other Word Forms
- foama·ble adjective
- foamer noun
- foaming·ly adverb
- foamless adjective
- foamlike adjective
- de·foam verb (used with object)
- un·foamed adjective
- un·foaming adjective
Word History and Origins
Origin of foam1
Word History and Origins
Origin of foam1
Idioms and Phrases
- foam at the mouth, to be extremely or uncontrollably angry.
Example Sentences
In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and continue cooking, stirring often, until it foams and begins to brown — about 5–7 minutes.
Underneath Ruislip Rugby Club they hit sandy ground which caused large clouds of foam to end up on the rugby pitches which had to be closed.
Residents of Bentham, a town in North Yorkshire, are taking legal action against a firefighting foam manufacturer over potential health risks caused by "forever chemicals" found in soils and groundwater.
Russian state TV was practically foaming at the mouth, screaming about striking Washington, drowning London, and turning America into "nuclear ash."
Moors stacked mats into the foam pit and practiced double front flips.
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Quiz
Q: Fill in the blank: "Salchipapas" is a portmanteau of the Spanish words for ______ and ______.
- salt and potatoes
- sausage and French fries
- sardines and French fries
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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