Somme

American  

[sawm] / sɔm /

noun

1. a river in N France, flowing NW to the English Channel: battles, World War I, 1916, 1918; World War II, 1944. 150 miles (241 km) long.

2. a department in N France. 2,424 sq. mi. (6,280 sq. km). Amiens.

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Somme British  

/ sɔm /

noun

1. a department of N France, in Picardy region. Capital: Amiens. Pop: 557 061 (2003 est). Area: 6277 sq km (2448 sq miles)

2. a river in N France, rising in Aisne department and flowing west to Amiens, then northwest to the English Channel: scene of heavy fighting in World War I. Length: 245 km (152 miles)

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Somme

This is estimable, but Mr. Westad—with the Battle of the Somme in mind—suggests that there is an even higher morality that might require concessions on those very issues to keep the peace.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

The day was also marked in Villers-Bretonneux, a village in the Somme region of France, which Australian units helped defend during World War One.

From BBC ● Apr. 25, 2026

Russian advances in some of its major offensives are slower than the infamous Battle of the Somme in World War I, according to CSIS.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 24, 2026

On Friday morning, Alary told us, there had just been a successful taxi boat launch from Cayeux-Sur-Mer, a village about 100 kilometres south beyond the river Somme.

From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2025

After two weeks, Ludendorff called off the Somme offensive and shifted to the north, striking near the ruins of Ypres.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman

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