dam
noun
a barrier to obstruct the flow of water, especially one of earth, masonry, etc., built across a stream or river.
dam
1 American
[dam]
/ dæm /
noun
-
a barrier to obstruct the flow of water, especially one of earth, masonry, etc., built across a stream or river.
-
a body of water confined by a dam.
-
any barrier resembling a dam.
dam
2
American
[dam]
/ dæm /
noun
dam
3
American
abbreviation
Dam
4
American
[dam, dahm]
/ dæm, dɑm /
noun
dam
1
British
/ dæm /
noun
-
a barrier of concrete, earth, etc, built across a river to create a body of water for a hydroelectric power station, domestic water supply, etc
-
a reservoir of water created by such a barrier
-
something that resembles or functions as a dam
verb
Dam
2
British
/ dam /
noun
dam
3
British
/ dæm /
noun
dam
4
British
/ dæm /
interjection
dam
5
British
symbol
dam
Idioms
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
damsimple
-
damssimple
-
have dammedperfect
-
has dammedperfect
-
am dammingprogressive
-
are dammingprogressive
-
is dammingprogressive
-
have been dammingperfect progressive
-
has been dammingperfect progressive
Past
-
dammedsimple
-
had dammedperfect
-
was dammingprogressive
-
were dammingprogressive
-
had been dammingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of dam1
1275–1325; Middle English < Middle Dutch, Middle Low German, dam; akin to Old English for-demman to stop up, block
Origin of dam2
1250–1300; Middle English; variant of dame
Explanation
A barrier built to block the flow of water is called a dam. If you walk along a stream, you can see where beavers have built a dam out of mud and logs. As a verb, dam means to obstruct or blockade as with a dam. If the kids you're babysitting dam up the bathtub drain when you're not paying attention, the water might overflow and cause a waterfall into the living room downstairs. But water isn't the only thing that can be dammed. You shouldn't dam up your emotions — go ahead and scream if you need to.
Vocabulary lists containing dam
"A Modest Proposal," Vocabulary from the satire
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East Asia - Middle School
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East Asia - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The Ecuadorian government launched legal proceedings against Sinohydro in 2021 due to cracks appearing in the dam and other technical failures.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
Nepal issued a warning to move to higher ground after a dam in Tibet was reported to have burst.
From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026
In 2023, a glacial lake burst in the northeastern Indian state of Sikkim, killing people and destroying a hydropower dam.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
Listen to the full Witness History episode about the race to save wildlife at the Itaipu dam on BBC Sounds.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
When that happened, we would collect the blood, the dam nefesh, on cloth swabs that would be buried with the body.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
Last month marked a grim milestone: the combined volume of both reservoirs hit their lowest level since 1957, when Glen Canyon Dam was still under construction.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Now, on March 12, 1928, a supervisor at the St. Francis Dam was calling to say there might be a problem.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
Earlier in July, local journalists were asked to "soften" their language to describe a major breach in the wall of the Liulan Dam near Naning as an "opening" or "gap".
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Although the federal plan aims to slow the decline of Lake Powell, it may not be enough to prevent the loss of hydropower at Glen Canyon Dam as water levels continue dropping.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
We both wanted to hike around the tumbled ruins of William Mulholland’s St. Francis Dam.
From "100 Sideways Miles" by Andrew Smith
By the time the beavers were trapped and their dams dismantled, a few dozen acres of trees were dead and too dangerous to remove.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
A barrier lake is a body of water formed when debris dams up a river.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
Ryan Gellert, the company’s chief executive, said the state’s plan to assess the planet-warming gases coming from dams and reservoirs is “a critical step forward in California’s transition to cleaner energy and water infrastructure.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
Ponds and leaky dams have also been installed to hold more water across the site.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
“Beavers! Build dams in every brook and stream. We must not let any fresh water pour into the ocean! “
From "The Wild Robot Protects" by Peter Brown
The deadly flash flood in Nepal on Wednesday likely was caused by a huge chunk of a glacier that broke off and temporarily dammed a river, according to preliminary investigations by scientists.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
Late one night in October 2023, part of the shelf of rocks and ice that dammed the lake in northeast India collapsed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 1, 2026
Some Alaskans are evacuating their homes as meltwater escapes a basin dammed by the Mendenhall Glacier - raising fears of record-breaking flooding in the US state's capital city.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2025
Stained glass windows on the west side of the church, in the direct path of the storm, were shattered, allowing rain inside in addition to dammed stormwater forced into the building, Glenn said.
From Seattle Times ● May 21, 2024
That night Fayge began to speak, as if the words so long dammed up had risen to flood.
From "The Devil's Arithmetic" by Jane Yolen
For decades, damming rivers has generated bitter fights in places around the world, and international lenders have come under pressure not to support new projects.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 15, 2026
Organisers said the chances of seeing the nocturnal animals during the day would be slim but added the tours would offer a first hand look at the animals' damming and digging skills.
From BBC ● Feb. 26, 2026
Habitat destruction, damming, and pollution have decimated local populations, such that many species are in dire need of help.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 25, 2024
The fight between environmentalists and dam builders escalated in the 1960s, after the bureau proposed damming the Colorado River next to another U.S. treasure: Grand Canyon National Park.
From Slate ● Aug. 28, 2024
They had more or less run amuck and were damming up rivers and flooding highways, filling pastures, even beginning to invade the cities.
From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen
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.
