dam — English Dictionary

Noun

1. A structure placed across a flowing body of water to stop the flow or part of the flow, generally for purposes such as retaining or diverting some of the water or retarding the release of accumulated water to avoid abrupt flooding.

   Examples

   A dam is often an essential source of water to farmers of hilly country.

   More examples (2)

   Nothing could be more business-like than the construction of the stout dams, and nothing more gently rural than the limpid lakes, with the grand old forest trees marshalled round their margins[…]

   Most of the Himalayan rivers have been relatively untouched by dams near their sources. Now the two great Asian powers, India and China, are rushing to harness them as they cut through some of the world's deepest valleys.

2. The water reservoir resulting from placing such a structure.

   Examples

   Boats may only be used at places set aside for boating on the dam.

3. A device to prevent a tooth from getting wet during dental work, consisting of a rubber sheet held with a band.

   Synonyms

   dental damoral dam

4. A reservoir.

   Usage

   • Australia
   • South-Africa

5. A firebrick wall, or a stone, which forms the front of the hearth of a blast furnace.

Verb

1. To block the flow of water.

   Usage

   • Transitive

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   Home I vvould go, / But that my Dores are hatefull to my eyes. / Fill'd and damm'd up vvith gaping Creditors, / VVatchfull as Fovvlers vvhen their Game vvill ſpring; […]

Noun

1. Female parent, mother, generally regarding breeding of animals.

   Examples

   More dear […] than younglings to their dam.

   The dam runs lowing up and down, / Looking the way her harmless young one went.

   More examples (3)

   Hunters assure us, that to chuse the best dog, and which they purpose to keepe from out a litter of other young whelps, there is no better meane than the damme herselfe[…].

   she / Resolved that Juan should be quite a paragon, / And worthy of the noblest pedigree / (His sire was from Castile, his dam from Aragon)[…].

   The sky was cloudless—the moon rolled across the surface like a lamb searching for its dam.

2. A kind of crowned piece in the game of draughts.

Noun

1. An obsolete Indian copper coin, equal to a fortieth of a rupee.

   Usage

   • India
   • Historical

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   […] A small Indian coin; whence comes the saying "I don't care a dam for you," that is I don't value you a farthing, and not as generally given, "I don't care a damn" or a "curse for you." [Possibly a folk etymology.]

2. A former coin of Nepal, 128 of which were worth one mohar.

   Usage

   • Historical

Interjection

1. Damn.

   Usage

   • Historical
   • pronunciation-spelling
   • Slang

Adjective

1. Damn.

   Usage

   • Historical
   • not-comparable
   • pronunciation-spelling
   • Slang

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   Do not get too caught up in individual campism. The Most-High sent your spirits back on earth to fix yourselves, come together and wake up our people, so do your dam job and stop letting your fleshly desires control you.

Noun

1. a barrier constructed to contain the flow of water or to keep out the sea

   Synonyms

   dikedyke

   Broader terms

   barrier

2. a metric unit of length equal to ten meters

   Synonyms

   decameterdekameterdecametredekametredkm

   Broader terms

   metric linear unit

3. female parent of an animal especially domestic livestock

   Broader terms

   female

Verb

1. obstruct with, or as if with, a dam

   Synonyms

   dam up

   Broader terms

   obstructobturateimpedeoccludejamblockclose up

   Examples

   dam the gorges of the Yangtse River