foam

1 of 2

noun

1
: a light frothy mass of fine bubbles formed in or on the surface of a liquid or from a liquid: such as
a
: a frothy mass formed in salivating or sweating
b
: a stabilized froth produced chemically or mechanically and used especially in fighting oil fires
c
: a material in a lightweight cellular form resulting from introduction of gas bubbles during manufacture
2
: sea
3
: something resembling foam
foamless adjective

foam

2 of 2

verb

foamed; foaming; foams

intransitive verb

1
a
: to produce or form foam
b
: to froth at the mouth especially in anger
broadly : to be angry
2
: to gush out in foam
3
: to become covered with or as if with foam
streets … foaming with lifeThomas Wolfe

transitive verb

1
: to cause to foam
specifically : to cause air bubbles to form in
2
: to convert (something, such as a plastic) into a foam
foamable adjective
foamer noun

Examples of foam in a Sentence

Noun As I poured the beer, foam bubbled up in the glass. The fire extinguisher is filled with foam. a can of shaving foam Verb The soda foamed in the glass. The mixture will bubble and foam when you add the yeast.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Peoria police say a love triangle sparked the most recent foam incident in February. The Arizona Republic, 14 Mar. 2024 Featuring soft lining and a foam footbed, the Tasman slippers come in colors like chestnut, black, gray, and more. Chaunie Brusie, Rn, Parents, 13 Mar. 2024 It’s made with a sturdy iron base and features eucalyptus leaves made out of high quality faux silk with foam berries and a wood center panel. Stephanie Osmanski, Southern Living, 10 Mar. 2024 This 19 x 20 x 8.3-foot tiny home—made from a steel frame and flame-retardant foam wallboard—is fully waterproof, thermally insulated, and impossibly easy to assemble. Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Mar. 2024 These chemicals bubble into a super-concentrated foam – much like soap would. Chloe Johnson, Journal Sentinel, 8 Mar. 2024 Also consider additional soft-tissue recovery modalities such as foam rolling and massage. Dana Santas, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024 The source of the contamination is believed to be from firefighting foam, which has historically been used for training and fuel fires. Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 7 Mar. 2024 Often less accurate than bullets, the foam or rubber rounds are designed to spread the force of impact over a larger area, without penetrating the skin. Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024
Verb
Place 1 to 2 tablespoons butter in a cast-iron skillet and heat until foaming. Kathleen Purvis, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024 An erotic craving is inextricable from the ferment that foams up when oneself is sluiced into another. Becca Rothfeld, The New Yorker, 17 Feb. 2024 This step not only toasts the rice but tames its tendency to foam up and boil over later. Nancy Baggett, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024 The foaming cleaner kills 99.9% of common bacteria found in homes while eliminating mold and mildew. Kaitlyn McInnis, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Jan. 2024 Police said the kids were found in bed, foaming from the nose and mouth, according to NBC New York and the New York Post. Abigail Adams, Peoplemag, 20 Dec. 2023 The aromas had to be fresh and clean– like me-time in a foaming bath– while also cocooning and relaxing– like floating in hot, soothing water. India Espy-Jones, Essence, 12 Dec. 2023 Polish off dirt and debris with Cosrx's Low pH Good Morning Gel or Etude House's foaming SoonJung cleanser. Korean sunscreens are in a league of their own. Sarah Han, Allure, 11 Oct. 2023 All across India, there are reports of rivers foaming with toxic waste or lakes catching fire. Oliver Franklin-Wallis, WIRED, 30 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'foam.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English fome, from Old English fām; akin to Old High German feim foam, Latin spuma foam, pumex pumice

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of foam was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near foam

Cite this Entry

“Foam.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foam. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

foam

1 of 2 noun
1
: a light mass of fine bubbles formed in or on a liquid
2
: a mass of fine bubbles formed (as by a horse) in producing saliva or sweating
3
: a long-lasting mass of bubbles produced chemically and used especially in fighting oil fires
4
: a material (as rubber) in a lightweight cellular form resulting from the presence of gas bubbles during manufacture
foamily
ˈfō-mə-lē
adverb
foaminess
ˈfō-mē-nəs
noun
foamy
-mē
adjective

foam

2 of 2 verb
1
: to produce or form foam : froth
2
: to be angry

Medical Definition

foam

noun
: a light frothy mass of fine bubbles formed in or on the surface of a liquid
spermicidal foam
foam verb

More from Merriam-Webster on foam

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