seam

C2 Topic:Materials & Substances

US /siːm/ UK /siːm/ See IPA manual

Homophones

seem /siːm/

Minimal pairs

Sounds like theme /θ/ vs /s/

Freq #23244

Meanings

1

noun
a line where two pieces of cloth, leather, or similar material are joined, usually by sewing

The tailor reinforced the seam along the shoulder of the coat.
2

noun
a line, groove, ridge, wrinkle, or scar on a surface

A pale seam crossed the skin where the wound had healed.
3

noun
a thin layer of rock or a bed of a mineral, especially coal

The miners followed the coal seam deep beneath the hill.
4

verb
to join pieces by sewing or by a comparable fastening process

Workers seam the waterproof panels with heat rather than thread.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a line where two pieces of... join stitching

2 noun · a line, groove, ridge,... line ridge scar

3 noun · a thin layer of rock or a... stratum bed vein

4 verb · to join pieces by sewing or... join stitch fasten

Opposites

separation

Word family

Forms seamed

Derived forms seamerseamlessseamlike

Related forms sew stitchinseam

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

coal seam
a layer of coal lying between other layers of rock

Noun + noun

Etymology

From Middle English seme, from Old English seam 'seam', ultimately from a Proto-Germanic noun meaning 'that which is sewn'. The word broadened from a sewn join to similar lines, scars, fissures, and mineral layers.

Topics

Materials & Substances

External links

# seam

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** /siːm/
**IPA (UK):** /siːm/
**Frequency rank:** 23244

## Meanings
1. a line where two pieces of cloth, leather, or similar material are joined, usually by sewing
2. a line, groove, ridge, wrinkle, or scar on a surface
3. a thin layer of rock or a bed of a mineral, especially coal
4. to join pieces by sewing or by a comparable fastening process

## Examples
- The tailor reinforced the seam along the shoulder of the coat.
- A pale seam crossed the skin where the wound had healed.
- The miners followed the coal seam deep beneath the hill.
- Workers seam the waterproof panels with heat rather than thread.

## Synonyms
- join
- stitching
- line
- stratum
- bed

## Antonyms
- separation

## Derived Forms
- seamer
- seamless
- seamlike

## Related Forms
- sew
- stitch
- inseam

## Etymology
From Middle English seme, from Old English seam 'seam', ultimately from a Proto-Germanic noun meaning 'that which is sewn'. The word broadened from a sewn join to similar lines, scars, fissures, and mineral layers.

## Topics
- Materials & Substances

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