dam

CEFRB1

/ˈdæm/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A wall built across water to hold it back.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    A device to prevent a tooth from getting wet during dental work, consisting of a rubber sheet held with a band.

Examples

  • The villagers were displaced by the construction of a dam.

  • There was a water mill below the dam.

At a glance

Sits at B1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
5
Synonyms
2

Also pronounced

  • [ˈdæm] ~ [ˈdam]
  • [ˈdam] ~ [ˈdäm]

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. The water reservoir resulting from placing such a structure.

  2. A structure placed across a flowing body of water to stop the flow or part of the flow, generally for purposes such as retaining or diverting some of the water or retarding the release of accumulated water to avoid abrupt flooding.

  3. A firebrick wall, or a stone, which forms the front of the hearth of a blast furnace.

More examples

In context

  • A dam is often an essential source of water to farmers of hilly country.

  • Boats may only be used at places set aside for boating on the dam.

  • Nothing could be more business-like than the construction of the stout dams, and nothing more gently rural than the limpid lakes, with the grand old forest trees marshalled round their margins[…]

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The beavers built a blank across the stream to create a pond.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

From Middle English dam, from Old English *damm, from Proto-West Germanic *damm, from Proto-Germanic *dammaz.