A seam is a line of stitches which joins two pieces of cloth together.
2. countable noun
A seam of coal is a long, narrow layer of it underneath the ground.
The average U.K. coal seam is one metre thick.
Synonyms: layer, vein, stratum, lode More Synonyms of seam
3.
See come apart at the seams/fall apart at the seams
4.
See bursting at the seams
More Synonyms of seam
seam in British English
(siːm)
noun
1.
the line along which pieces of fabric are joined, esp by stitching
2.
a ridge or line made by joining two edges
3.
a stratum of coal, ore, etc
4.
a linear indentation, such as a wrinkle or scar
5. surgery another name for suture (sense 1b)
6. (modifier) cricket
of or relating to a style of bowling in which the bowler utilizes the stitched seam round the ball in order to make it swing in flight and after touching the ground
a seam bowler
7. bursting at the seams
8. in a good seam
verb
9. (transitive)
to join or sew together by or as if by a seam
10. US
to make ridges in (knitting) using purl stitch
11.
to mark or become marked with or as if with a seam or wrinkle
Word origin
Old English; related to Old Norse saumr, Old High German soum
seam in American English
(sim)
noun
1.
a.
a joining of two pieces of material with a line of stitches
b.
the line of stitches
sew a fine seam
c.
the material between the margin of each of the joined pieces and its outer edge
a one-inch seam
d.
the line on the outside of a garment at the joining of two pieces of material
2.
a line formed by the joining together of any separate pieces; line marking adjoining edges, as of boards
3.
a mark, line, ridge, etc. like this, as a scar, wrinkle, mold line on glass, etc.
4.
a thin layer or stratum of ore, coal, etc.
verb transitive
5.
to join together so as to form a seam
6.
to mark with a seamlike line, crack, wrinkle, etc.
verb intransitive
7. Rare
to develop cracks or fissures
Word origin
ME seme < OE seam, akin to Ger saum < IE base *siw-, *sū > sew
Examples of 'seam' in a sentence
seam
The toe seams are sewn by hand and this guarantees a great fit.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Thread yarn through remaining stitches and join seam.
The Sun (2015)
We almost picked a side with only two seam bowlers.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Africa is no longer a commodity seam fit only to be looted.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Their bodies have still not been recovered because of a fire burning in a coal seam.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Use plain seams and seam the lining together in the same way.
Churchill, Jane (ed.) Collins Complete Books of Soft Furnishings (1993)
She somehow combined a rich seam of anarchy with a deep conservatism.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
It will be a battle between their batters and our seam bowling unit.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
This also allows for top hem and base seam.
Churchill, Jane (ed.) Collins Complete Books of Soft Furnishings (1993)
Underneath the careful insouciance lay a thick seam of resolution.
Patrick Bishop FIGHTER BOYS: Saving Britain 1940 (2003)
Turn in seam allowance at one end of tube.
Churchill, Jane (ed.) Collins Complete Books of Soft Furnishings (1993)
Secrets of royalty and celebrity remain sewn into the seams of the garments.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
It has been a seam bowlers' match.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Unlikely to be involved unless injuries take their toll of the front-line seam bowling attack.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Pin, tack and stitch lengths together with a narrow flat fell seam.
Churchill, Jane (ed.) Collins Complete Books of Soft Furnishings (1993)
The margin was only a millimetre or two, a row of stitches on the seam.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Just how rich a seam they have hit will become clear over the next year, probably within months.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Indeed, it was the second-highest score of a match in which seam bowlers held sway.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Word lists with
seam
parts of clothes, parts of clothing
In other languages
seam
British English: seam /siːm/ NOUN
A seam is a line of stitches joining two pieces of cloth together.
The shirt tore open along a seam.
American English: seam
Arabic: دَرْزَة
Brazilian Portuguese: costura
Chinese: 接缝
Croatian: šav
Czech: šev
Danish: søm
Dutch: naad
European Spanish: costura puntadas
Finnish: sauma
French: couture
German: Naht
Greek: ραφή
Italian: cucitura
Japanese: 縫い目
Korean: 솔기
Norwegian: søm
Polish: szew szycie
European Portuguese: costura
Romanian: cusătură
Russian: шов
Latin American Spanish: costura
Swedish: söm
Thai: ตะเข็บ
Turkish: dikiş giysinin
Ukrainian: шов
Vietnamese: đường may nối
All related terms of 'seam'
coal seam
a bed of coal
French seam
a seam in which the edges are not visible
seam bowler
a fast bowler who makes the ball bounce on its seam so that it will change direction
overcast seam
a hem with long stitches passing successively over the edge
in a good seam
doing well , esp financially
Chinese translation of 'seam'
seam
(siːm)
n(c)
(= stitches) 缝(縫) (fèng)
[of coal etc]层(層) (céng)
to be bursting at the seams拥(擁)挤(擠)不堪 (yōngjǐ bùkān)
1 (noun)
Definition
a ridge or line made by joining two edges
The seam of her tunic was split from armpit to hem.
Synonyms
joint
Cut the stem just below a leaf joint.
closure
suture (surgery)
2 (noun)
Definition
a long narrow layer of coal, marble, or ore formed between layers of other rocks
The average UK coal seam is one metre thick.
Synonyms
layer
Critics and the public puzzle out the layers of meaning in his photos.
vein
a rich deep vein of copper in the rock
stratum
The rock strata show that the region was intensely dry 15,000 years ago.
lode
3 (noun)
Definition
a mark or line like a seam, such as a wrinkle or scar
Synonyms
ridge
In some places the ridge is quite a gentle feature.
line
He has a large, generous face with deep lines.
scar
wrinkle
His face was covered with wrinkles.
furrow
Bike trails crisscrossed the grassy furrows.
idioms
See bursting at the seams
See fall apart at the seams
Additional synonyms
in the sense of furrow
Definition
a long narrow trench made in the ground by a plough
Bike trails crisscrossed the grassy furrows.
Synonyms
groove,
line,
channel,
hollow,
trench,
seam,
crease,
fluting,
rut,
corrugation
in the sense of line
Definition
a thin indented mark or wrinkle on skin
He has a large, generous face with deep lines.
Synonyms
wrinkle,
mark,
crease,
furrow,
crow's foot
in the sense of stratum
Definition
any of the distinct layers into which certain rocks are divided
The rock strata show that the region was intensely dry 15,000 years ago.
Synonyms
layer,
level,
seam,
table,
bed,
vein,
tier,
stratification,
lode
Synonyms of 'seam'
seam
Explore 'seam' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of vein
Definition
a clearly defined layer of ore or mineral in rock
a rich deep vein of copper in the rock
Synonyms
seam,
layer,
stratum,
course,
current,
bed,
deposit,
streak,
stripe,
lode
in the sense of wrinkle
Definition
a slight ridge in the smoothness of a surface, such as a crease in the skin as a result of age