loom
pronunciation
How to pronounce loom in British English:
UK [luːm]
How to pronounce loom in American English:
US [luːm]
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- Noun:
- a textile machine for weaving yarn into a textile
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- Verb:
- come into view indistinctly, often threateningly
- appear very large or occupy a commanding position
- hang over, as of something threatening, dark, or menacing
Word Origin
- loom (n.)
- weaving machine, Old English geloma "utensil, tool," from ge-, perfective prefix, + -loma, of unknown origin (compare Old English andloman (plural) "apparatus, furniture"). Originally "implement or tool of any kind" (as in heirloom); thus, "the penis" (c. 1400-1600). Specific meaning "a machine in which yarn or thread is woven into fabric" is from c. 1400.
- loom (v.)
- 1540s, "to come into view largely and indistinctly," perhaps from a Scandinavian source (compare dialectal Swedish loma, East Frisian lomen "move slowly"), perhaps a variant from the root of lame (adj.). Early used also of ships moving up and down. Figurative use from 1590s. Related: Loomed; looming.