seam

[seem]

See more synonyms for seam on Thesaurus.com

noun

the line formed by sewing together pieces of cloth, leather, or the like.
the stitches used to make such a line.
any line formed by abutting edges.

any linear indentation or mark, as a wrinkle or scar.
Knitting. a line of stitches formed by purling.
Geology. a comparatively thin stratum; a bed, as of coal.

verb (used with object)

to join with or as if with stitches; make the seam or seams of.
to furrow; mark with wrinkles, scars, etc.
Knitting. to knit with or in a seam.

verb (used without object)

to become cracked, fissured, or furrowed.
Knitting. to make a line of stitches by purling.

Origin of seam

before 1000; Middle English seme (noun), Old English sēam; cognate with German Saum hem; akin to sew¹, Greek hymḗn membrane (see hymen)

Related formsseam·er, nounun·der·seam, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for seam

joint, hem, pleat, closure, coupling, tuck, union, juncture, connection, suture, gore, junction, bond, gusset

Examples from the Web for seam

Contemporary Examples of seam

Fumbleroooohski…'” (39) “'Look at me, ungh, splitting my own seam, oohh… going deep.
‘A Gronking to Remember’ Speed Read: 8 Naughtiest Bits
Emily Shire
January 7, 2015
Roll the pork over the stuffing, like a jelly roll, until the seam is facing down and the fat back is on top.
Make Carla Hall’s Roasted Pork Loin With Cranberries
Carla Hall
December 24, 2014
For a number of years, we lived in the Abu Tor neighborhood, right on the seam of East and West Jerusalem.
Life In Common
Yehudah Mirsky
July 2, 2012

Historical Examples of seam

You'll open a seam in your head and founder, first thing you know.
Thankful's Inheritance
Joseph C. Lincoln
The seam is twenty-six feet thick, and the coal is of good quality.
The Last Voyage
Lady (Annie Allnutt) Brassey
Then followed a long silence while the machine rattled down a seam.
The Hound From The North
Ridgwell Cullum
"There's a seam of cryolite in the Eastern Hills, according to the old maps," said Lake.
Space Prison
Tom Godwin
Take your seam indoors to your chamber, and stir not from it till supper-time.
Chatterbox, 1905.
Various

British Dictionary definitions for seam

seam

noun

the line along which pieces of fabric are joined, esp by stitching
a ridge or line made by joining two edges
a stratum of coal, ore, etc
a linear indentation, such as a wrinkle or scar
surgery another name for suture (def. 1b)
(modifier) cricket of or relating to a style of bowling in which the bowler utilizes the stitched seam round the ball in order to make it swing in flight and after touching the grounda seam bowler
bursting at the seams full to overflowing
in a good seam Northern English dialect doing well, esp financially

verb

(tr) to join or sew together by or as if by a seam
US to make ridges in (knitting) using purl stitch
to mark or become marked with or as if with a seam or wrinkle

Word Origin for seam

Old English; related to Old Norse saumr, Old High German soum

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

Word Origin and History for seam

Old English seam "seam, suture, junction," from Proto-Germanic *saumaz (cf. Old Frisian sam "hem, seam," Old Norse saumr, Middle Dutch som, Dutch zoom, Old High German soum, German Saum "hem"), from PIE root *syu- "to sew, to bind" (cf. Old English siwian, Latin suere, Sanskrit syuman; see sew).