1 foam | Definition of foam

foam

noun
\ ˈfōm How to pronounce foam (audio) \

Definition of foam

 (Entry 1 of 2)

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

foam

verb
foamed; foaming; foams

Definition of foam (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

1a : 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

Keep scrolling for more

Other Words from foam

Noun

foamless \ ˈfōm-​ləs How to pronounce foamless (audio) \ adjective

Verb

foamable \ ˈfō-​mə-​bəl How to pronounce foamable (audio) \ adjective
foamer \ ˈfō-​mər How to pronounce foamer (audio) \ noun

Synonyms for foam

Synonyms: Noun

froth, head, lather, spume, suds, surf

Synonyms: Verb

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

Visit the Thesaurus for More 

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.
See More

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The seats have memory-foam cushions for a comfortable ride, are 21 inches wide, and up to 81 inches long in lie-flat mode. Eric Rosen, Condé Nast Traveler, "The World's Best Business Class Seats, and How to Fly Them on Points and Miles," 21 Aug. 2019 Hundreds of fires have been extinguished using 3M’s firefighting foam, leaving the chemicals to seep into groundwater. Bob Shaw, Twin Cities, "Billion-dollar lawsuits: Will non-stick chemicals finally stick on 3M?," 17 Aug. 2019 Toxic algae can look like foam, scum or mats on the surface of water, said Schmale. Jeff Forward, Houston Chronicle, "Woodlands officials: No blue-green algae in township ponds, lakes," 15 Aug. 2019 When butter foams, add garlic. Continue to whisk until butter is golden, about another 30 seconds; remove from heat and set aside. Jennifer Rude Klett, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Wisconsin farmers — and diners — dig potatoes of all types and colors," 15 Aug. 2019 The blooms can produce a foam, scum or thick layers on the surface of the water that can look and smell bad. Leada Gore | [email protected], al, "How to protect your pets from harmful algae in water," 14 Aug. 2019 Toxic algae can look like foam, scum or mats on the surface of water, explained Schmale. Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, "WATCH: How to Protect Your Dog from Toxic Algae," 14 Aug. 2019 Toxic algae can look like foam, scum, or mats on the surface of water, said Schmale. Susan Scutti, CNN, "How to spot the toxic algae that's killing dogs in the Southeast," 12 Aug. 2019 Once butter starts to foam, add chicken pieces, skin-side down. Simran Singh, The Mercury News, "Quick Cook: How to make Zoe’s Basque Style Braised Chicken," 5 Aug. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Piles of foaming bubbles, some a few feet high, greeted the crowds of children and adults who made their way through a fundraising race in Park Ridge Saturday. Jennifer Johnson, chicagotribune.com, "Park Ridge Bubble Run raises money for childhood cancer foundation," 20 Aug. 2019 The lifeguard dragged Cottrell, who was foaming at the mouth, to shore on his paddleboard and attempted to perform CPR. Fox News, "Seminary student, 22, drowns in ocean off Florida while on honeymoon, officials say," 31 July 2019 Brewer described Thomas as foaming at the mouth and having red bloodshot eyes. Washington Post, "Ex-deputy says he feared attack before shooting unarmed man," 1 Aug. 2019 Griot’s Garage interior detailer, foaming tire cleaner and 3-IN-ONE RVcare seal conditioner The summer show-and-shine season is in full chat and Griot’s Garage is out with a pair of new detailing products. San Diego Union-Tribune, "A little summer lovin’ for the care of cars and RVs," 21 July 2019 Rabid animals exhibit symptoms including aggressive behavior, seizures, lethargy, vomiting and foaming at the mouth. Tom Steele, Dallas News, "Bat at Fort Worth Water Gardens tests positive for rabies, health officials say," 24 July 2019 The non-comedogenic formula lightly foams to remove excess oil without over-stripping skin. Christina Heiser, NBC News, "The best products for oily skin, according to dermatologists," 6 July 2019 State officials warned recreational users on the Kentucky River that runoff would result in water discoloration, foaming and an odor. USA TODAY, "Robot hostesses, veggie booze, ‘civil death’: News from around our 50 states," 4 July 2019 State officials warned recreational users on the Kentucky River that runoff will result in water discoloration, foaming and an odor. Washington Post, "Fire destroys Jim Beam warehouse, bourbon flows into river," 3 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'foam.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

See More

First Known Use of foam

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

History and Etymology for foam

Noun

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

Keep scrolling for more

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for foam

foam

noun

English Language Learners Definition of foam

 (Entry 1 of 2)

: a mass of small bubbles that are formed in or on a liquid