foam

C1 Topic:Materials & Substances

US /foʊm/ UK /fəʊm/ See IPA manual

Freq #8244

Meanings

1

noun
a mass of small bubbles formed in or on a liquid

The beer had a thick head of foam.
2

noun
A substance composed of a large collection of bubbles or their solidified remains, especially

Similarly, the biotech giant Cargill has begun manufacturing a polymer from vegetable oils that is used in polyurethane foams, which is found in beddings, furniture and car-seat headrests.
3

noun
A material formed by trapping pockets of gas in a liquid or solid.

A foam mat can soften a hard seat.
4

noun
The sea.

He is in Europe, across the foam.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a mass of small bubbles... froth

2 noun · a substance composed of a... froth

Word family

Forms foamy

Derived forms afoamantifoamantifoamingbefoambiofoamdefoamfoam-fleckedfoamabilityfoamablefoambackfoamboardfoambow

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

foam rubber
rubber containing many small air spaces, making it soft and springy

Noun + noun

Etymology

From Middle English fom, foom, from Old English fām, from Proto-West Germanic *faim, from Proto-Germanic *faimaz, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)poHy-m-os, from *(s)poH(y)- (“foam”). Cognate with German Feim (“foam”), Latin spūma (“foam”), Latin pūmex (“pumice”), Sanskrit फेन (phéna, “foam”), possibly Northern Kurdish fê (“epilepsy”).

Topics

Materials & Substances

External links

# foam

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /foʊm/
**IPA (UK):** /fəʊm/
**Frequency rank:** 8244

## Meanings
1. a mass of small bubbles formed in or on a liquid
2. A substance composed of a large collection of bubbles or their solidified remains, especially
3. A material formed by trapping pockets of gas in a liquid or solid.
4. The sea.

## Examples
- The beer had a thick head of foam.
- Similarly, the biotech giant Cargill has begun manufacturing a polymer from vegetable oils that is used in polyurethane foams, which is found in beddings, furniture and car-seat headrests.
- A foam mat can soften a hard seat.
- He is in Europe, across the foam.

## Derived Forms
- afoam
- antifoam
- antifoaming
- befoam
- biofoam
- defoam
- foam-flecked
- foamability
- foamable
- foamback
- foamboard
- foambow

## Etymology
From Middle English fom, foom, from Old English fām, from Proto-West Germanic *faim, from Proto-Germanic *faimaz, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)poHy-m-os, from *(s)poH(y)- (“foam”). Cognate with German Feim (“foam”), Latin spūma (“foam”), Latin pūmex (“pumice”), Sanskrit फेन (phéna, “foam”), possibly Northern Kurdish fê (“epilepsy”).

## Topics
- Materials & Substances

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