foam

foam
\ \ [OE] Foam is an ancient word, with several relatives widespread among the Indo-European languages, all denoting generally ‘substance made up of bubbles’: Latin pūmex, for instance, from which English gets pumice, and probably Latin spūma, from which we get spume [14].
\ \ These and other forms, such as Sanskrit phénas and Russian penafoam’, point to a common Indo-European source *poimo-, which produced prehistoric West Germanic *faimaz – whence English foam.
\ \ Cf.PUMICE, SPUME

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • foam´er — foam «fohm», noun, verb. –n. 1. a mass of very small bubbles formed in water or other liquids especially by agitation, fermentation, effervescence, or boiling: »Another kind of extinguisher that is valuable for oil fires pours or throws a foam on …   Useful english dictionary

  • foam — n Foam, froth, spume, scum, lather, suds, yeast are comparable when they denote either a mass of bubbles gathering in or on the surface of a liquid or something as insubstantial as such a mass. Foam is the most comprehensive of these terms but is …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • foam´i|ly — foam|y «FOH mee», adjective, foam|i|er, foam|i|est. 1. covered with foam: »foamy surf. 2. made of foam. 3. like foam …   Useful english dictionary

  • foam|y — «FOH mee», adjective, foam|i|er, foam|i|est. 1. covered with foam: »foamy surf. 2. made of foam. 3. like foam …   Useful english dictionary

  • Foam — (f[=o]m), v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Foamed} (f[=o]md); p. pr. & vb. n. {Foaming}.] [AS. f[=ae]man. See {Foam}, n.] 1. To gather foam; to froth; as, the billows foam. [1913 Webster] He foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth. Mark ix. 18. [1913 Webster] 2 …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • foam — [fōm] n. [ME fom < OE fam, akin to Ger feim, scum < IE base * (s)poimno , foam > Sans phḗna , L spuma] 1. the whitish mass of bubbles formed on or in liquids by agitation, fermentation, etc. 2. something like foam, as the heavy sweat of… …   English World dictionary

  • foam — (n.) O.E. fam foam, saliva froth, from W.Gmc. *faimo (Cf. O.H.G. veim, Ger. Feim), from PIE * (s)poi mo (Cf. Skt. phenah; L. pumex pumice, spuma foam; O.C.S. pena foam; Lith. spaine …   Etymology dictionary

  • foam — ► NOUN 1) a mass of small bubbles formed on or in liquid. 2) a liquid preparation containing many small bubbles: shaving foam. 3) a lightweight form of rubber or plastic made by solidifying foam. ► VERB ▪ form or produce foam. ● foam at the mouth …   English terms dictionary

  • Foam — (f[=o]m), v. t. To cause to foam; as, to foam the goblet; also (with out), to throw out with rage or violence, as foam. Foaming out their own shame. Jude 13. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Foam — (f[=o]m), n. [OE. fam, fom, AS. f[=a]m; akin to OHG. & G. feim.] The white substance, consisting of an aggregation of bubbles, which is formed on the surface of liquids, or in the mouth of an animal, by violent agitation or fermentation; froth;… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • foam — [n] bubbles formed from a liquid cream, fluff, froth, head, lather, scum, spray, spume, suds, surf, yeast; concept 260 foam [v] become bubbly aerate, boil, burble, effervesce, ferment, fizz, froth, gurgle, hiss, lather, seethe, simmer, sparkle;… …   New thesaurus

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