dam
1 of 4noun (1)
ˈdam 
1
a
: a barrier preventing the flow of water or of loose solid materials (such as soil or snow)
a beaver dam
an ice dam
especially, civil engineering : a barrier built across a watercourse for impounding (see impound sense 2) water
b
: a barrier to check the flow of liquid, gas, or air
2
: a body of water confined by a barrier
dam
2 of 4verb
dammed; damming
transitive verb
1
: to provide or restrain with a barrier that prevents the flow of water : to provide or restrain with a dam (see dam entry 1 sense 1a)
dam a river
2
: to stop up : block
damming up their emotions
dam
3 of 4noun (2)
zoology : the female parent of an animal and especially of a domestic animal
the foal's dam
dam
4 of 4abbreviation
dekameter
Synonyms
Noun (1)
- dike
- embankment
- head
- levee
Verb
- block
- choke
- clog
- clot
- congest
- gum (up)
- jam
- obstruct
- occlude
- plug (up)
- stop (up)
- stuff
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Verb ice floes were damming the river
Word History
Etymology
Noun (1) and Verb
Middle English, probably from Middle Dutch; akin to Old English fordemman to stop up
Noun (2)
Middle English dam, dame lady, dam — more at dame
First Known Use
Noun (1)
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Verb
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun (2)
13th century, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing dam
Kids Definition
dam 1 of 3
noun
ˈdam
: the female parent of a domestic animal (as a dog or horse)
dam
2 of 3noun
: a barrier (as across a stream) to hold back a flow of water
dam
3 of 3verb
dammed; damming
: to hold back or block with or as if with a dam
Leaves dammed the drains.
Medical Definition
dam 1 of 3
noun
ˈdam
: a female parent —used especially of a domestic animal
dam
2 of 3noun
: rubber dam see dental dam
dam
3 of 3abbreviation
dekameter
Biographical Definition
Dam
biographical name
ˈdam
ˈdäm
(Carl Peter) Henrik 1895–1976 Danish biochemist
dammed 1 of 2
adjective
as in blocked
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- blocked
- choked
- clogged
- obstructed
- congested
- impassable
- impassible
- closed
- jammed
- unpassable
- stuffed
- blockaded
- barricaded
- unnegotiable
- stopped (up)
- plugged (up)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- navigable
- passable
- negotiable
- cleared
- clear
- open
- free
- unobstructed
- unstopped
- unclogged
- unclosed
dammed
2 of 2verb
1
as in obstructed
to prevent passage through by filling with something ice floes were damming the river Synonyms & Similar Words
- blocked
- obstructed
- flooded
- filled
- jammed
- choked
- clogged
- congested
- occluded
- stuffed
- clotted
- silted
- packed
- stoppered
- inundated
- bunged
- spiled
- overwhelmed
- gummed (up)
- stopped (up)
- corked
- swamped
- plugged (up)
- gridlocked
- glutted
- stoppled
- furred
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- freed
- cleared
- opened (up)
- excavated
- unplugged
- unstopped
- emptied
- unclogged
- hollowed (out)
- unblocked
- scooped (out)
- lightened
2
as in filled
to close up so that no empty spaces remain dam up the pipes Synonyms & Similar Words
- filled
- plugged
- packed
- blocked
- stopped
- sealed
- stuffed
- bunged
- clogged
- jammed
- obstructed
- choked
- occluded
- congested
- calked
- caulked
- clotted
- chinked
- repacked
- closed (off)
- restuffed
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- excavated
- shoveled
- hollowed (out)
- shovelled
- scooped (out)