loom

¹ American  

[loom] / lum /

noun

1. a hand-operated or power-driven apparatus for weaving fabrics, containing harnesses, lay, reed, shuttles, treadles, etc.

2. the art or the process of weaving.

3. the part of an oar between the blade and the handle.

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verb (used with object)

1. to weave (something) on a loom.

loom ² American  

[loom] / lum /

verb (used without object)

1. to appear indistinctly; come into view in indistinct and enlarged form.

   The mountainous island loomed on the horizon.

2. to rise before the vision with an appearance of great or portentous size.

   Suddenly a police officer loomed in front of him.

   Synonyms:

   tower, rear

3. to assume form as an impending event.

   A battle looms at the convention.

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noun

1. a looming appearance, as of something seen indistinctly at a distance or through a fog.

   the loom of a moraine directly in their path.

loom ³ American  

[loom] / lum /

noun

British Dialect.

1. loon.

2. a guillemot or murre.

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L.O.O.M. ⁴ American  

abbreviation

1. Loyal Order of Moose.

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loom ¹ British  

/ luːm /

verb

1. to come into view indistinctly with an enlarged and often threatening aspect

2. (of an event) to seem ominously close

3. (often foll by over) (of large objects) to dominate or overhang

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noun

1. a rising appearance, as of something far away

loom ² British  

/ luːm /

noun

1. an apparatus, worked by hand ( hand loom ) or mechanically ( power loom ), for weaving yarn into a textile

2. the middle portion of an oar, which acts as a fulcrum swivelling in the rowlock

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loom ³ British  

/ luːm /

noun

1. another name for diver

2. any of various other birds, esp the guillemot

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Etymology

Origin of loom¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English lome, lombe, lume “tool, implement, loom,” Old English lōma, gelōma; further origin uncertain

Origin of loom²

First recorded in 1590–1600; origin uncertain; perhaps akin to East Frisian lomen, Swedish lome “move slowly”

Origin of loom³

First recorded in 1670–80; from Old Norse lōmr “loon”

Example Sentences

The loom put weavers out of work, he added, but it raised living standards for everyone who came after.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

Frederiksen still has a chance to stay in power for a third term, however Denmark is typically run by coalition governments, and so tough negotiations - which could take days or weeks - now loom.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

Polls, however, show that the majority of Brazilians approved of the operation and, as October elections loom, security has become the main concern for voters in the country.

From Barron's • Mar. 18, 2026

Eurozone government bond yields were little changed in early trade as markets remained mostly driven by the Middle East crisis as central bank meetings loom.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026

Tall, bright buildings loom over the treetops, but they are nowhere near this castle that seems to have fallen out of the sky and landed in the heart of this vast park.

From "The Sky at Our Feet" by Nadia Hashimi

Related Words

• brew
• come on
• dominate
• emerge
• hover
• mount
• overshadow
• portend
• soar
• stand out
• threaten