dam

pronunciation

How to pronounce dam in British English: UK [dæm]word uk audio image

How to pronounce dam in American English: US [dæm] word us audio image

  • Noun:
    a barrier constructed to contain the flow of water or to keep out the sea
    a metric unit of length equal to ten meters
    female parent of an animal especially domestic livestock
  • Verb:
    obstruct with, or as if with, a dam

Word Origin

dam
dam: [12] Dam, appropriately enough for a word related to the human control of water-courses, seems to have been borrowed from Middle Dutch dam. It appears to have been a fairly widespread West and East Germanic word, subsequently borrowed into North Germanic, but its ultimate source is not known.
dam (n.1)
"water barrier," early 14c., probably from Old Norse dammr or Middle Dutch dam, both from Proto-Germanic *dammaz (cognates: Old Frisian damm, German Damm), which is of unknown origin.
dam (n.2)
"animal mother," c. 1300, variant of dame (q.v.), also originally used, like that word, for "lady, mother;" but meanings diverged into separate spellings by 16c.
dam (v.)
late 15c., from dam (n.1). Related: Dammed; damming.

Example

1. Outside experts studied the dam and ordered small changes .
2. Unfortunately , an earthquake might liquefy the core of the dam .
3. Green dam has the potential to tighten this .
4. But admirers of the dam are not yet declaring victory .
5. He didn 't know whether it was done for the zipingpu dam .

more: >How to Use "dam" with Example Sentences