Showing results for pond scum. Search instead for soap scum.

pond scum

American

noun

any free-floating freshwater alga that forms a green scum on water.

pond scum British

noun

a greenish layer floating on the surface of stagnant waters, consisting of various freshwater algae

"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

Etymology

Origin of pond scum

First recorded in 1885–90

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.

Etching can clog with soap scum, which can make the floor as slippery as it is was before; scrubbing with a degreaser can restore the anti-slip surface.

From Washington Post • Mar. 24, 2023

These are also much easier to clean, as glass shower doors attract mineral deposits and soap scum.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 22, 2023

Often, the hot water is enough to melt away soap scum or grease that's causing the clog.

From Salon • Aug. 8, 2022

Or the bathtub licker, a monster that thrives on soap scum?

From New York Times • Oct. 30, 2014

Awe in despair at how a splotch of errant morning toothpaste can transform a glowing bathroom into a hellscape of soap scum, mirror spackle, and toilet marginalia by midafternoon.

From Slate • Apr. 24, 2014

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023