foam

[ fohm ]

noun

1. a collection of minute bubbles formed on the surface of a liquid by agitation, fermentation, etc.:

   foam on a glass of beer.

   Synonyms: scum, fizz, head, spume, froth

2. the froth of perspiration, caused by great exertion, formed on the skin of a horse or other animal.
3. froth formed from saliva in the mouth, as in epilepsy and rabies.
4. a thick frothy substance, as shaving cream.
5. (in firefighting)
   1. a chemically produced substance that smothers the flames on a burning liquid by forming a layer of minute, stable, heat-resistant bubbles on the liquid's surface.
   2. the layer of bubbles so formed.
6. a dispersion of gas bubbles in a solid, as foam glass, foam rubber, polyfoam, or foamed metal.
7. Literary. the sea.

verb (used without object)

1. to form or gather foam; emit foam; froth.

verb (used with object)

1. to cause to foam.
2. to cover with foam; apply foam to:

   to foam a runway before an emergency landing.

3. to insulate with foam.
4. to make (plastic, metal, etc.) into a foam.

foam

/ fəʊm /

noun

1. a mass of small bubbles of gas formed on the surface of a liquid, such as the froth produced by agitating a solution of soap or detergent in water
2. frothy saliva sometimes formed in and expelled from the mouth, as in rabies
3. the frothy sweat of a horse or similar animal
4. 1. any of a number of light cellular solids made by creating bubbles of gas in the liquid material and solidifying it: used as insulators and in packaging
   2. ( as modifier )

      foam rubber

      foam plastic

5. a colloid consisting of a gas suspended in a liquid
6. a mixture of chemicals sprayed from a fire extinguisher onto a burning substance to create a stable layer of bubbles which smothers the flames
7. a poetic word for the sea

verb

1. to produce or cause to produce foam; froth
2. intr to be very angry (esp in the phrase foam at the mouth )

foam

/ fōm /

1. Small, frothy bubbles formed in or on the surface of a liquid, as from fermentation or shaking.
2. A colloid in which particles of a gas are dispersed throughout a liquid.
3. Compare aerosol

Derived Forms

• ˈfoamˌlike, adjective
• ˈfoamless, adjective

Other Words From

• foama·ble adjective
• foamer noun
• foaming·ly adverb
• foamless adjective
• foamlike adjective
• de·foam verb (used with object)
• un·foamed adjective
• un·foaming adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of foam¹

before 900; Middle English fom, Old English fām; cognate with German Feim

Word History and Origins

Origin of foam¹

Old English fām ; related to Old High German feim , Latin spūma , Sanskrit phena

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. foam at the mouth, to be extremely or uncontrollably angry.

Example Sentences

Other new menu items include Starbuck’s Gingerbread Cream Cold Foam, a blend of gingerbread flavors with vanilla sweet cream; Turkey Sage Danish, a savory pastry filled with turkey sausage and bechamel sauce; Dark Toffee Bundt, a personal-sized, toffee-flavored Bundt cake; Penguin Cookie, a shortbread cookie iced with a penguin design; and Snowman Cake Pop, a vanilla-flavored cake mixed with buttercream and dipped in a white chocolate icing.

From Salon

Mr Botero claims that less than a millimetre of this coating will provide the same insulating effect as 40 millimetres of foam.

From BBC

The famed beverage is topped with cookie butter cold foam and a sprinkle of cookie butter crumbles, making it the perfect treat to enjoy during the holidays.

From Salon

The U.S. military has used Silly String to detect IEDs on the battlefield, relying on the foam to cling to tripwires that would otherwise be invisible.

From Los Angeles Times

“They are more commonly fat-based cakes that do not require an egg foam, which makes them rich, moist and dense. But in reality, you could get away with putting any type of cake in a loaf pan and slapping the name on it. Any cake can be baked in any pan with the right adjustment to the oven temperature and bake time.”

From Salon

Related Words

• cream
• froth
• spray