loom

1 of 3

noun (1)

: a frame or machine for interlacing (see interlace sense 1) at right angles two or more sets of threads or yarns to form a cloth

loom

2 of 3

verb

loomed; looming; looms

intransitive verb

1
: to come into sight in enlarged or distorted and indistinct form often as a result of atmospheric conditions
Storm clouds loomed on the horizon.
2
a
: to appear in an impressively great or exaggerated form
deficits loomed large
b
: to take shape as an impending occurrence
the problems that loomed ahead

loom

3 of 3

noun (2)

: the indistinct and exaggerated appearance of something seen on the horizon or through fog or darkness
also : a looming shadow or reflection

Examples of loom in a Sentence

Verb Storm clouds loomed on the horizon. The mountains loom above the valley.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
March Madness is full of twists, and here’s one to ponder: What if the Creighton-Oregon winner — the teams meet Saturday in the second round — looms as the greatest obstacle between Gonzaga and the Final Four? Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2024 Thousands of tiny neurons run axons — the brain’s transmission cables for electrical impulses — perpendicularly through the stack of dendrites, like threads in a loom. Rebecca Boyle, Quanta Magazine, 24 Jan. 2024 But a larger, trickier deadline for the rest of the government — including the Defense, State and Homeland Security departments — looms just two weeks away, and negotiators are still far apart on spending amounts and policy provisions necessary to fund those agencies. Jacob Bogage, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 Kenyatta has recorded video messages for his estranged daughter, which are projected on the upstage wall, and his face, big as a billboard, looms above Nina’s ugly room, his eyes as staring and huge as a god’s. Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 22 Feb. 2024 About 70% of Gen Z workers plan to freelance now or in the future—as layoffs surge and AI job-replacement looms, many are shifting away from traditional employment. Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 29 Feb. 2024 It would be programmed by punch cards, like the industrial looms of the time. Charlie Fink, Forbes, 17 Feb. 2024 How large that battle still looms was apparent from the first day of the session, when Jones and several other Democrats questioned a new ticketing system implemented by House Speaker Cameron Sexton that restricted the number of people who could observe the session in person. Dakin Andone, CNN, 13 Feb. 2024 More of those curveballs Neville talked about loom on the horizon. Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Dec. 2023
Verb
The possibility that Kansas City might lose one or both of its top two professional sports franchises loomed over two of three previous times that the Chiefs and Royals have asked voters for tax support. Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 25 Mar. 2024 Instead, Ferrell lets the uncertainty loom, like a dark cloud obscuring a rocky shoreline. Stephen Deusner, SPIN, 25 Mar. 2024 Together, Helen and Sam set off on a mission to investigate who killed Jason and why, leading them to uncover a vast, interconnected conspiracy linking the murky London underworld to a looming geopolitical crisis. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 22 Mar. 2024 Today’s air-travel anxiety sits at the intersection of these vibes, anecdotes, legitimate and troubling news reports, and the algorithmic distortion of the internet, creating a distinctly modern feeling of a large, looming problem, the exact contours of which are difficult to discern. Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 20 Mar. 2024 With stiff competition and marketing restrictions looming, building a successful brand requires ingenuity, intuition and a deep understanding of the dynamics at play for the next generation of legal cannabis consumers in Canada. Mario Naric, Rolling Stone, 19 Mar. 2024 After the practice, there was a notable difference in both my mood and approach to a looming deadline. Fiona Embleton, Glamour, 18 Mar. 2024 Meanwhile, those vendors are facing a more worrisome existential threat: a looming drop in the overall number of weddings. Samantha Delouya, CNN, 17 Mar. 2024 The deal comes amid growing concerns that Israel's looming ground offensive on Gaza's southernmost town of Rafah could force hundreds of thousands of people to break into Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. Samy Magdy, Quartz, 17 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'loom.' 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 (1)

Middle English lome tool, loom, from Old English gelōma tool; akin to Middle Dutch allame tool

Verb and Noun (2)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

circa 1541, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1836, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of loom was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near loom

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

loom

1 of 2 noun
: a frame or machine for weaving threads or yarns to produce cloth

loom

2 of 2 verb
1
: to appear suddenly and often with a large, dim, or strange form
loomed out of the fog
2
: to be about to happen

More from Merriam-Webster on loom

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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