foam

play

noun \ ˈfōm \

Definition of foam

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

play \ˈfōm-ləs\ adjective

See foam defined for English-language learners

See foam defined for kids

Examples of foam in a Sentence

As I poured the beer, foam bubbled up in the glass.
The fire extinguisher is filled with foam.
a can of shaving foam

Recent Examples of foam from the Web

And changes to substantially soften the exterior of football helmets, into something more like memory foam, to reduce the weight and its utility as a weapon.

— john branch, The Seattle Times, "Upset over damage to players, ESPN football analyst walks away," 30 Aug. 2017
The centerpiece of the studio is a black drafting desk by Ben Storms, a contemporary Belgian designer, made from a wafer-thin slice of foam topped with a 4-millimeter layer of inky marble.

— stephen heyman, New York Times, "A Home So Uncluttered That It Almost Looks Empty," 15 Aug. 2017
Mexican-chocolate semifreddo is dressed up with puffs of horchata foam and strands of cinnamon-sugar kataifi, a clever blend of textures.

— phil vettel, chicagotribune.com, "Review: Proxi is a small-plates bazaar of international street food," 14 Aug. 2017
There are diaphragms and sponges; cervical caps and female condoms; spermicidal gels, foams, films, creams, and suppositories; hormone-delivery systems involving pills, implants, injections, patches, vaginal rings, and IUDs.

— emily anthes, Bloomberg.com, "Why We Can’t Have the Male Pill," 3 Aug. 2017
Wolf Fairfax District, $$$ The menu at low-key Wolf is the antithesis of Top Chef alum Marcel Vigneron’s foam-happy onscreen persona.

— garrett snyder, Los Angeles Magazine, "The Los Angeles Magazine Hot Restaurant List for July 2017," 18 July 2017
Rather than crunching down only at the point of impact, like foam does, the tubes crush outward like dominos.

— tim newcomb, Popular Mechanics, "A lot goes into safeguarding your melon.," 14 July 2017
The force then moves to the EPS foam, which compresses while absorbing more of the blow, says Graham Sours, Smith category manager .

— tim newcomb, Popular Mechanics, "A lot goes into safeguarding your melon.," 14 July 2017
Desserts are equally bright, including a frothy foam of strawberries served like a puff of air over a tangy, smooth yogurt ice cream.

— victoria pesce elliott, miamiherald, "La Petite Maison is a grand example of clean French cooking," 10 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'foam.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of foam

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

foam Synonyms

Synonyms

froth, head, lather, spume, suds, surf

Related Words

mousse; mist, spindrift, spray; scum

foam

verb

Definition of foam

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 life
—Thomas 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

play \ˈfō-mə-bəl\ adjective

—

foamer

play \ˈfō-mər\ noun

See foam defined for English-language learners

Examples of foam in a Sentence

The soda foamed in the glass.
The mixture will bubble and foam when you add the yeast.

Recent Examples of foam from the Web

Victims show signs of suffocation, convulsions, foaming at the mouth and pupil constriction.

— jill colvin, The Seattle Times, "White House warns Syria’s Assad against chemical attack," 26 June 2017
The young science super heroes will experiment with physics to construct an air cannon, use math to read minds, use engineering to design and build an infallible fortress, create a foaming chemical reaction and more.

— joan dittmann, Post-Tribune, "Unleash your inner superhero this weekend," 14 June 2017
On that day, Chris Mileti and Elizabeth Horn were returning home from a night out at dinner when their daughter, Aubrey, 1, had a seizure and began turning blue while foaming at the mouth.

— jeff piorkowski/special to cleveland.com, cleveland.com, "Two women honored in Beachwood for saving a life; jump rope champs in Cleveland Heights; more: Press Run," 19 May 2017
So to all of you still foaming at the mouth, please consider the Miller method and go knit yourself.

— david whitley, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Boston fans need their mouths knit shut," 13 May 2017
Imagine a city of self-serving hypocritical elites at the heart of the American empire — men and women with the souls of pole dancers — suddenly spouting gibberish and foaming at the mouth.

— john kass, chicagotribune.com, "An answer to Comey hysteria," 10 May 2017
Place 1 to 2 tablespoons butter in a cast-iron skillet and heat until foaming.

— kathleen purvis, charlotteobserver, "The best ways to cook asparagus (and other great tips)," 11 Apr. 2017
They are then relentlessly shoved, hit and paddled until one pledge collapses and begins foaming at the mouth.

— tamara best, New York Times, "Rarely Depicted, the Ugly Truths of Hazing Play Out Onscreen," 7 Apr. 2017
On their Untamed journey, the team has filmed dolphins leaping out of the foaming sea, hummingbirds battling for resources in a bayou, and invasive monkeys swinging over a river.

— National Geographic, "Behind the Scenes of a Groundbreaking Wildlife Series," 14 Mar. 2017

First Known Use of foam

before 12th century

foam Synonyms

Synonyms

burn, boil, fume, rage, rankle, seethe, sizzle, steam, storm

Related Words

fulminate, rant, rave; smolder (or smoulder); bristle, flare (up), inflame (also enflame); chafe, fret, stew; agitate, convulse, roil, shake

FOAM Defined for English Language Learners

foam

play

noun

Definition of foam for English Language Learners

: a mass of small bubbles that are formed in or on a liquid
: a substance that is like a thick liquid made of many small bubbles
: a soft material that is used to make many products

foam

verb

Definition of foam for English Language Learners

: to produce foam

FOAM Defined for Kids

foam

play

noun \ ˈfōm \

Definition of foam for Students

:a mass of tiny bubbles that forms in or on the surface of a liquid

foam

verb

Definition of foam for Students

foamed; foaming

:to produce or form a mass of tiny bubbles

Baking soda will foam when you add vinegar.

Medical Dictionary

foam

play

noun \ ˈfōm \

medical Definition of foam

:a light frothy mass of fine bubbles formed in or on the surface of a liquid

spermicidal foam

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foam

verb

Learn More about foam

See words that rhyme with foam Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for foam Spanish Central: Translation of foam Nglish: Translation of foam for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of foam for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about foam

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foam

Definition of foam

foamable

foamer

Examples of foam in a Sentence

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Synonyms

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FOAM Defined for English Language Learners

foam

Definition of foam for English Language Learners

foam

Definition of foam for English Language Learners

FOAM Defined for Kids

foam

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foam

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Medical Dictionary

foam

medical Definition of foam

foam

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