spume

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   foam or froth formed on a liquid, especially on breaking waves

   Storm-driven spume swept across the pier and soaked the lamps.

2. 2
   verb

   to froth, foam, or throw off a mass of bubbles

   At high tide, the breakers spume against the foot of the cliff.

From Middle English spume, through Old French espume, from Latin spuma, 'foam.' The Latin word belongs to an ancient family of words for froth and also lies behind spumous and, more distantly, pumice.

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