a hand-operated or power-driven apparatus for weaving fabrics, containing harnesses, lay, reed, shuttles, treadles, etc.
the art or the process of weaving.
the part of an oar between the blade and the handle.
to appear indistinctly; come into view in indistinct and enlarged form.
The mountainous island loomed on the horizon.
to rise before the vision with an appearance of great or portentous size.
Suddenly a police officer loomed in front of him.
to assume form as an impending event.
A battle looms at the convention.
to come into view indistinctly with an enlarged and often threatening aspect
(of an event) to seem ominously close
(often foll by over) (of large objects) to dominate or overhang
an apparatus, worked by hand ( hand loom ) or mechanically ( power loom ), for weaving yarn into a textile
the middle portion of an oar, which acts as a fulcrum swivelling in the rowlock
another name for diver
any of various other birds, esp the guillemot
First recorded before 900; Middle English lome, lombe, lume “tool, implement, loom,” Old English lōma, gelōma; further origin uncertain
First recorded in 1590–1600; origin uncertain; perhaps akin to East Frisian lomen, Swedish lome “move slowly”
First recorded in 1670–80; from Old Norse lōmr “loon”
Loom has two distinct meanings. First, a loom is a tool for weaving. Second, to loom is to appear or stand over someone in a threatening way. Don’t loom over the person you’re teaching to weave! You'll just make her nervous. The word loom, as an instrument to turn yarn into fabric, comes from an Old English word for “tool.” The verb form, meaning “to lurk just out of view,” comes from Low German or Dutch. Anything that looms is coming into view slowly and isn't something you want to see. Although storm clouds and icebergs can loom, this word does not have to refer to a physical object. If a deadline looms, better get to work.
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The 34-page strategy was released as critical decisions loom for local officials, California’s next governor and legislators.
From Los Angeles Times • May 25, 2026
Downward pressure on gold and silver prices comes as potentially higher interest rates loom amid the Middle East conflict.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
A combined NextEra-Dominion entity worth around $250 billion could loom over the sector.
From Barron's • May 16, 2026
While oil has already had a blowout year due to the unresolved and devastating Iran war, some say it’s underpriced as big shortages loom.
From MarketWatch • May 14, 2026
Ida went and sat behind the loom, moving her hands across the strings, weaving her threads in and out and around each other.
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
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.
