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
foamed; foaming; foams
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
Thomas Wolfe1
: to cause to foam
specifically
: to cause air bubbles to form in
2
: to convert (something, such as a plastic) into a foam
Synonyms
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 WebCoral Davenport, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2024
After the discovery in Bennington, the Department of Environmental Conservation scrambled to check other locations in the state, from wastewater treatment facilities to landfills to areas where another type of PFAS was used in firefighting foam.
—Stephanie Hanes, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Apr. 2024
The foam ended up on the soil surrounding the company's fire training center, as well as in the Marinette sewer system when the foam was washed into drains.
Tyco, formerly known as the Ansul Company, was purchased by Johnson Controls in 2016.
—Laura Schulte, Journal Sentinel, 12 Apr. 2024
They’ve been included in thousands of consumer and industrial products including nonstick cookware, stain resistant clothing and firefighting foam.
—Melody Petersen, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024
They have been used in clothing, carpets, other fabrics, non-stick cookware, food packaging, cosmetics, firefighting foam as well as gear and more.
—Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 10 Apr. 2024
Shake the cocktail vigorously to create a rich, creamy foam.
—Rishon Hanners, Southern Living, 9 Apr. 2024
The consent decree requires Philips to carry out additional tests on the silicone foam if the independent safety monitor brought on by the company determines that prior testing was inadequate.
—Michael Korsh, ProPublica, 9 Apr. 2024
Designed for recovery, the flip-flops have the brand’s signature foam footbed and arch.
—Isabel Garcia, Peoplemag, 8 Apr. 2024
Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Mar. 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.
—Kc Baker, Peoplemag, 14 Mar. 2024
Commercial cleaners may foam or have a thick consistency, which helps.
—Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2024
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
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
Noun
For decades, hundreds of military sites around the country used firefighting foam containing forever chemicals and nearby communities have some of the highest concentrations of PFAS contamination.
—Coral Davenport, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2024
After the discovery in Bennington, the Department of Environmental Conservation scrambled to check other locations in the state, from wastewater treatment facilities to landfills to areas where another type of PFAS was used in firefighting foam.
—Stephanie Hanes, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Apr. 2024
The foam ended up on the soil surrounding the company's fire training center, as well as in the Marinette sewer system when the foam was washed into drains.
Tyco, formerly known as the Ansul Company, was purchased by Johnson Controls in 2016.
—Laura Schulte, Journal Sentinel, 12 Apr. 2024
They’ve been included in thousands of consumer and industrial products including nonstick cookware, stain resistant clothing and firefighting foam.
—Melody Petersen, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024
They have been used in clothing, carpets, other fabrics, non-stick cookware, food packaging, cosmetics, firefighting foam as well as gear and more.
—Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 10 Apr. 2024
Shake the cocktail vigorously to create a rich, creamy foam.
—Rishon Hanners, Southern Living, 9 Apr. 2024
The consent decree requires Philips to carry out additional tests on the silicone foam if the independent safety monitor brought on by the company determines that prior testing was inadequate.
—Michael Korsh, ProPublica, 9 Apr. 2024
Designed for recovery, the flip-flops have the brand’s signature foam footbed and arch.
—Isabel Garcia, Peoplemag, 8 Apr. 2024
Verb
Once the butter is foaming, add the steak and pan-fry it until it's browned on one side, which should take about 3 minutes.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Mar. 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.
—Kc Baker, Peoplemag, 14 Mar. 2024
Commercial cleaners may foam or have a thick consistency, which helps.
—Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2024
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
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
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.
Dictionary Entries Near foam
Cite this Entry
“Foam.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foam. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
foam
1 of 2 noun1
: 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
adverb
ˈfō-mə-lē
foaminess
noun
ˈfō-mē-nəs
foamy
adjective
-mē
foam
2 of 2 verb1
: 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
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