dam

¹ American  

[dam] / dæm /

noun

1. a barrier to obstruct the flow of water, especially one of earth, masonry, etc., built across a stream or river.

2. a body of water confined by a dam.

3. any barrier resembling a dam.

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verb (used with object)

dammed, damming

1. to furnish with a dam; obstruct or confine with a dam.

2. to stop up; block up.

   Synonyms:

   choke, check, clog, impede

dam ² American  

[dam] / dæm /

noun

1. a female parent (used especially of four-footed domestic animals).

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dam ³ American  

abbreviation

1. dekameter; dekameters.

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Dam ⁴ American  

[dam, dahm] / dæm, dɑm /

noun

1. (Carl Peter) Henrik 1895–1976, Danish biochemist: Nobel Prize in Medicine 1943.

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dam ¹ British  

/ dæm /

noun

1. 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

2. a reservoir of water created by such a barrier

3. something that resembles or functions as a dam

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verb

1. to obstruct or restrict by or as if by a dam

Dam ² British  

/ dam /

noun

1. ( Carl Peter ) Henrik (ˈhɛnrəɡ). 1895–1976, Danish biochemist who discovered vitamin K (1934): Nobel prize for physiology or medicine 1943

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dam ³ British  

/ dæm /

noun

1. the female parent of an animal, esp of domestic livestock

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dam ⁴ British  

/ dæm /

interjection

1. (often used in combination) a variant spelling of damn damn damn damn

   damfool

   dammit

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dam ⁵ British  

symbol

1. decametre(s)

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dam Idioms  

1. see water over the dam.

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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

Example Sentences

Even in sectors like emergency services, dams and water treatment, foreign content in supply chains for crucial technologies is often limited, diversified across suppliers, or replaceable with domestic production over acceptable time horizons.

From The Wall Street Journal

To get it going again it needs substantial investment, partly to rebuild the destroyed Kakhovka hydro-electric dam that was used to provide cooling water for the plant.

From BBC

Bonham’s colleagues have publicly praised him for overseeing the removal of four dams along the Klamath River, leading to a salmon renaissance in their historic habitat.

From Los Angeles Times

Now with Miriam leaving home—Michael has already graduated and lives in California—the dam is crumbling.

From The Wall Street Journal

The reservoir of the Amir Kabir dam, one of the largest supplying Iran's capital, is still largely empty despite sporadic winter rainfall following the worst drought in decades, local media reported Wednesday.

From Barron's

Related Words

• bank
• barrier
• dike
• ditch
• gate
• levee