spume

[ spyoom ]
See synonyms for: spumespumedspumingspumous on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),spumed, spum·ing.
  1. to eject or discharge as or like foam or froth; spew (often followed by forth).

verb (used without object),spumed, spum·ing.
  1. to foam; froth.

noun
  1. foam, froth, or scum.

Origin of spume

1
1300–50; Middle English <Latin spūma foam, froth; akin to foam

Other words from spume

  • spumous, spumy, adjective

Words Nearby spume

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use spume in a sentence

  • spume from the crested breakers at her wallowing bow salted the rain on his dripping face.

    Blow The Man Down | Holman Day
  • Away to the west a few miles distant a fierce wind was blowing snow like fine spume over the brink of the cliffs.

    The Home of the Blizzard | Douglas Mawson
  • His jewels glimmered for a moment, his dog ran low, struggling with difficulty through the spume of cloud.

    Sons and Lovers | David Herbert Lawrence
  • The tang of the sea spume, of the salt-laden spray was on our lips; the songs of youth were in our hearts.

    The Pirate of Panama | William MacLeod Raine
  • Ahead, tossing a mane of smoke and a spume of spark, reveled the demoniac spirit of Fire.

    A Pagan of the Hills | Charles Neville Buck

British Dictionary definitions for spume

spume

/ (spjuːm) /


noun
  1. foam or surf, esp on the sea; froth

verb
  1. (intr) to foam or froth

Origin of spume

1
C14: from Old French espume, from Latin spūma; related to spuere to spew

Derived forms of spume

  • spumous or spumy, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012