dam

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈdam 

1

a

: a barrier preventing the flow of water or of loose solid materials (such as soil or snow)

a beaver dam

an ice dam

especially, civil engineering : a barrier built across a watercourse for impounding (see impound sense 2) water

b

: a barrier to check the flow of liquid, gas, or air

2

: a body of water confined by a barrier

dam

2 of 4

verb

dammed; damming

transitive verb

1

: to provide or restrain with a barrier that prevents the flow of water : to provide or restrain with a dam (see dam entry 1 sense 1a)

dam a river

2

: to stop up : block

damming up their emotions

dam

3 of 4

noun (2)

zoology : the female parent of an animal and especially of a domestic animal

the foal's dam

dam

4 of 4

abbreviation

dekameter

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• dike
• embankment
• head
• levee

Verb

• block
• choke
• clog
• clot
• congest
• gum (up)
• jam
• obstruct
• occlude
• plug (up)
• stop (up)
• stuff

Examples of dam in a Sentence

Noun (1)

the river backed up behind the dam until it formed a new lake

Verb

ice floes were damming the river

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Silvery steelhead migrate to the ocean and return to natal freshwater streams to spawn, a cycle that can be impeded by dams and concrete channels. —Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2025

Formed in 2018 under legislation signed by Trump, CISA is an independent agency that falls under the Department of Homeland Security and is charged with helping protect the nation’s critical infrastructure, ranging from power plants and banks to dams and election systems. —Rebecca Santana, Chicago Tribune, 17 Jan. 2025

Verb

Creative power can be dammed up or forestalled by everyday life, ordinary life, life in the squirrel cage. —Nate Anderson, Ars Technica, 4 Jan. 2025

Key streams that once produced ample salmon — including the lower Snake River — are dammed, which restricts access to and survival of the fish. —Evan Bush, NBC News, 3 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1) and Verb

Middle English, probably from Middle Dutch; akin to Old English fordemman to stop up

Noun (2)

Middle English dam, dame lady, dam — more at dame

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing dam

• air dam
• beaver dam
• tinker's dam

Kids Definition

dam

1 of 3 noun

ˈdam 

: the female parent especially of a domestic animal

dam

2 of 3 noun

1

: a barrier preventing the flow of water

2

: a body of water held back by a dam

dam

3 of 3 verb

dammed; damming

1

: to provide or restrain with a dam

dam a stream

2

: to stop up : block

dammed-up feelings

Etymology

Noun

Middle English dam, dame "lady, female parent"

Noun

Middle English dam "barrier to hold back water"

Medical Definition

dam

1 of 3 noun

ˈdam 

: a female parent

—used especially of a domestic animal

dam

2 of 3 noun

: rubber dam see dental dam

dam

3 of 3 abbreviation

dekameter

Biographical Definition

Dam

biographical name

ˈdam 

ˈdäm

(Carl Peter) Henrik 1895–1976 Danish biochemist