foam

1 of 2

noun

ˈfōm 

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

ˈfōm-ləs 

adjective

foam

2 of 2

verb

foamed; foaming; foams

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

ˈfō-mə-bəl 

adjective

foamer

ˈfō-mər 

noun

Synonyms

Noun

• froth
• head
• lather
• spume
• suds
• surf

Verb

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

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 Web

Noun

The menu features oysters with Champagne foam, shiso and uni vinegar mignonette, lobster maki with brown butter and aioli, chef's nigiri selection and honey castella cake with seasonal berries. —Bahar Anooshahr, The Arizona Republic, 26 Dec. 2024

Their protective clothing and firefighting foams — essential for their survival — harbor per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), hazardous compounds that pose devastating health risks. —Jonathan Sharp, Baltimore Sun, 23 Dec. 2024

Verb

On Tuesday night, the city of Grand Prairie announced the detection of a foaming agent in the water north of I-20. —Marley Malenfant, Austin American-Statesman, 5 Sep. 2024

According to Mayor Ron Jensen, fire crews responded to a warehouse fire on S Avenue around 1 p.m. on Tuesday and utilized a foaming agent to extinguish the flames. —Marley Malenfant, Austin American-Statesman, 5 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing foam

• cell foam
• cellular foam
• closed cell foam
• foam at the mouth
• foam cell
• foam rubber
• memory foam
• open cell foam
• plastic foam
• shaving foam

Kids Definition

foam

1 of 2 noun

ˈfōm 

1

: 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

ˈfō-mə-lē

adverb

foaminess

ˈfō-mē-nəs

noun

foamy

-mē

adjective

foam

2 of 2 verb

1

: to produce or form foam : froth

2

: to be angry

Medical Definition

foam

noun

ˈfōm 

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

spermicidal foam

foam verb