becalm

verb

be·​calm bi-ˈkä(l)m How to pronounce becalm (audio)
becalmed; becalming; becalms

transitive verb

1
a
: to keep motionless by lack of wind
b
: to stop the progress of
2
: to make calm : soothe

Examples of becalm in a Sentence

becalmed at last, she slept soundly for the first time in weeks
Recent Examples on the Web Illustration: Arizona State University/PNAS The weakest point in Jacobson’s 2015 paper identified by his critics is a heavy reliance on hydropower plants, which serve as his simulated power grid's backstop energy supply during long periods of weak sun and becalmed winds. IEEE Spectrum, 19 June 2017 In the summer, that data started to surprise much more positively — but stocks were becalmed during that period. John Authers | Bloomberg, Washington Post, 13 Nov. 2019 Within an hour of pushing off, though, we were becalmed and drifted straight toward Faith Hill’s house. Porter Fox, New York Times, 18 Dec. 2019 But if the world’s major central banks are moving in lockstep and bond yields are becalmed at low levels, there’s less opportunity to make money. Washington Post, 21 Nov. 2019 Eighteenth-century sailors referred to this part of the Atlantic as the horse latitudes because, the story goes, ships would get becalmed there and have to dump their horses overboard as freshwater supplies dwindled. David Doubilet, National Geographic, 12 June 2019 But with his party becalmed at around just 20% in the polls, Mr Sánchez wants his Socialists, with just 84 of the 350 seats in parliament, to govern alone for an unspecified period. The Economist, 31 May 2018 In some of Paglen’s works, drones are seen as nothing more than a dark speck against a backdrop of becalming gray or sun-gold clouds, a way of denoting their possibly sinister near invisibility in our world. Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 31 May 2018 What is the value of clean, unchemical thinking, and where’s the narrative rush of a life becalmed? Beth Kephart, chicagotribune.com, 2 Apr. 2018

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

Word History

First Known Use

1582, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of becalm was in 1582

Dictionary Entries Near becalm

Cite this Entry

“Becalm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/becalm. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

becalm

verb
be·​calm bi-ˈkäm How to pronounce becalm (audio)
-ˈkälm
: to bring to a stop by lack of wind
a ship becalmed

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