dam
1 of 4noun (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 4verb
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 4noun (2)
zoology : the female parent of an animal and especially of a domestic animal
the foal's dam
dam
4 of 4abbreviation
dekameter
Synonyms
Noun (1)
- dike
- embankment
- head
- levee
Verb
- block
- choke
- clog
- clot
- congest
- gum (up)
- jam
- obstruct
- occlude
- plug (up)
- stop (up)
- stuff
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Verb ice floes were damming the river
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
Kids Definition
dam 1 of 3
noun
ˈdam
: the female parent of a domestic animal (as a dog or horse)
dam
2 of 3noun
: a barrier (as across a stream) to hold back a flow of water
dam
3 of 3verb
dammed; damming
: to hold back or block with or as if with a dam
Leaves dammed the drains.
Medical Definition
dam 1 of 3
noun
ˈdam
: a female parent —used especially of a domestic animal
dam
2 of 3noun
: rubber dam see dental dam
dam
3 of 3abbreviation
dekameter
Biographical Definition
Dam
biographical name
ˈdam
ˈdäm
(Carl Peter) Henrik 1895–1976 Danish biochemist
dam 1 of 2
noun
as in levee
a bank of earth constructed to control water the river backed up behind the dam until it formed a new lake Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- levee
- embankment
- dike
- canal
- barrier
- weir
- rampart
- lock
- breakwater
- ditch
- barricade
- head
- jetty
- channel
- seawall
- trough
- block
- gutter
- sluice
- earthwork
- bulwark
- breastwork
- barrage
- floodgate
- milldam
- stank
dam
2 of 2verb
1
as in to block
to prevent passage through by filling with something ice floes were damming the river Synonyms & Similar Words
- block
- obstruct
- flood
- jam
- fill
- clog
- clot
- congest
- stuff
- choke
- occlude
- silt
- cork
- bung
- gum (up)
- stopper
- pack
- spile
- stop (up)
- swamp
- plug (up)
- fur
- gridlock
- stopple
- overwhelm
- inundate
- glut
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- free
- clear
- open (up)
- excavate
- hollow (out)
- unplug
- unstop
- unblock
- unclog
- empty
- scoop (out)
- lighten
2
as in to fill
to close up so that no empty spaces remain dam up the pipes Synonyms & Similar Words
- fill
- seal
- plug
- block
- pack
- bung
- stuff
- stop
- clog
- clot
- obstruct
- jam
- congest
- occlude
- caulk
- choke
- chink
- close (off)
- repack
- restuff
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- shovel
- hollow (out)
- excavate
- scoop (out)