dam

See also: Appendix:Variations of "dam"

Languages (39)

Translingual • English

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Page categories

Translingual

Etymology 1

From da (“deca-”) +‎ m (“meter”).

Symbol

dam

1. (metrology) Symbol for decameter (decametre), an SI unit of length equal to 10¹ meters (metres).

Etymology 2

Clipping of English Damakawa.

Symbol

dam

1. (international standards) ISO 639-3 language code for Damakawa.

See also

• Wiktionary’s coverage of Damakawa terms

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈdæm/, [ˈdæm] ~ [ˈdam]
• (Standard Southern British, Midlands) IPA^(key): /ˈdam/, [ˈdam]
• (Northern England, Scotland, Wales) IPA^(key): /ˈdam/, [ˈdam] ~ [ˈdäm]
• (US, Canada) IPA^(key): /ˈdæm/
  • (without æ-raising) IPA^(key): [ˈdæm]
  • (æ-raising) IPA^(key): [ˈdeə̯m] ~ [ˈdɛə̯m]

    • Audio (US); [ˈdeə̯m]:

      (file)

• (Australia) IPA^(key): /ˈdæːm/
  • (without æ-raising) IPA^(key): [ˈdæːm]

    • Audio; [ˈdæːm]:

      (file)

  • (æ-raising) IPA^(key): [ˈdeːm] ~ [ˈdɛːm]
• (New Zealand) IPA^(key): /ˈdɛm/, [ˈdɛm]
• Rhymes: -æm
• Hyphenation: dam
• Homophone: damn

Etymology 1

A dam.

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

Noun

dam (plural dams)

1. 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.

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

   • 1913, Robert Barr, chapter 4, in Lord Stranleigh Abroad‎^[1]:

     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 […]

   • 2013 August 16, John Vidal, “Dams endanger ecology of Himalayas”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 10, page 8:

     Most of the Himalayan rivers have been relatively untouched by dams near their sources. Now the two great Asian powers, India and China, are rushing to harness them as they cut through some of the world's deepest valleys.

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

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

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

   Synonyms: dental dam, oral dam

5. (South Africa, Australia) A reservoir.
6. A firebrick wall, or a stone, which forms the front of the hearth of a blast furnace.

Derived terms

• antidam
• backdam
• bear-trap dam
• beaver dam, Beaver Dam
• Broken Dam
• check dam
• cofferdam
• coffer-dam, coffer dam
• dambreak
• dam break
• damburst
• dambuster
• dambusting
• dam failure
• damless
• damlike
• dammable
• dam plate
• damside
• damsire
• dental dam
• earthquake dam
• gravity dam
• hydroelectric dam
• ice dam
• ice dam membrane
• mill dam
• sand dam
• shutter dam
• splash dam
• water over the dam
• Yellow Dam

Translations

structure placed across a flowing body of water

• Afrikaans: dam (af)
• Albanian: pendë (sq) f, digë (sq) f
• Altai:

  Southern Altai: плотина (plotina)

• Amharic: ግድብ (gədb)
• Arabic: سَدّ m (sadd)

  Egyptian Arabic: سد m (sadd)

• Armenian: ամբարտակ (hy) (ambartak), պատնեշ (hy) (patneš)
• Azerbaijani: bənd (az), sədd, damba
• Bashkir: быуа (bıwa)
• Belarusian: плаці́на (be) f (placína), да́мба f (dámba)
• Bengali: বাঁধ (bn) (bãdh)
• Bouyei: waail
• Bulgarian: бент (bg) m (bent)
• Burmese: ရေကာတာ (my) (rekata)
• Catalan: presa (ca) f
• Chakma: 𑄉𑄧𑄙 (gadhā)
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 壩 / 坝 (baa³), 水壩 / 水坝 (seoi² baa³), 大壩 / 大坝 (daai⁶ baa³)

  Dungan: бэ (be), фибэ (fibe)

  Hokkien: 水壩 / 水坝 (chúi-pà)

  Mandarin: 壩 / 坝 (zh) (bà), 水壩 / 水坝 (zh) (shuǐbà), 大壩 / 大坝 (zh) (dàbà)

• Chuvash: пӗвӗ (pĕvĕ)
• Cornish: arge m
• Crimean Tatar: bent
• Czech: hráz (cs) f, přehrada (cs) f
• Danish: dæmning (da) c
• Dutch: dam (nl) m
• Egyptian: (dnjt)
• Erzya: каваз (kavaz)
• Esperanto: akvobaraĵo
• Estonian: pais
• Farefare: mõgrɛ
• Finnish: pato (fi)
• French: barrage (fr) m
• Galician: presa (gl) f, encoro (gl) m, touta f, tarula f
• Georgian: კაშხალი (ḳašxali), ჯებირი (ǯebiri), დამბა (damba)
• German: Talsperre (de) m, Damm (de) m, Staudamm (de) m
• Greek: φράγμα (el) n (frágma)

  Ancient Greek: ἄνδηρον n (ándēron)

• Hebrew: סֶכֶר (he) m (sékher)
• Hindi: बाँध (hi) m (bāndh), पुश्ता (hi) m (puśtā)
• Hungarian: gát (hu)
• Hunsrik: Damm m
• Icelandic: stífla f
• Ido: aquobarilo (io)
• Indonesian: bendungan (id), empang (id)
• Ingrian: plotina
• Irish: damba
• Italian: argine (it) m, diga (it) f
• Japanese: ダム (ja) (damu), 堰堤 (ja) (えんてい, entei)
• Kannada: ಕಟ್ಟೆ (kn) (kaṭṭe)
• Kazakh: бөгет (böget), дамба (damba)
• Khmer: ទំនប់ (km) (tumnup)
• Korean: 댐 (ko) (daem), 언제(堰堤) (ko) (eonje) (North Korea)
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: بەربەست (berbest)

  Northern Kurdish: bendav (ku), sikur (ku)

• Kyrgyz: бөгөт (ky) (bögöt), дамба (ky) (damba), плотина (plotina)
• Lao: ຝາຍ (fāi), ເຂື່ອນ (lo) (khư̄an)
• Latvian: dambis (lv) m, aizsprosts (lv) m
• Lithuanian: užtvanka f, damba f
• Lü: ᦚᦻ (ḟaay)
• Macedonian: брана f (brana), насип m (nasip)
• Malay: empang (ms), empangan (ms), pengempang, ampang, bendung, bendungan, pembendung, tebat, tambak (ms), tandup, alahan (ms)
• Malayalam: അണ (ml) (aṇa), അണക്കെട്ട് (ml) (aṇakkeṭṭŭ), ചിറ (ml) (ciṟa)
• Maltese: diga
• Manchu: ᡩᠠᠯᠠᠨ (dalan), ᡩᠠᠯᠠᠩᡤᠠ (dalangga)
• Māori: matatara, pāwai
• Middle English: dam
• Mongolian:

  Cyrillic: далан (mn) (dalan), боомт (mn) (boomt)

• Navajo: dáʼdeestłʼin, tó beʼekʼid
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: demning m or f, dam (no) m

  Nynorsk: demning m or f, dam (no) m

• Pashto: ډم (ps) m (ḍǝm), بند (ps) m (band)
• Persian:

  Dari: بَنْد (fa) (band)

  Iranian Persian: سَدّ (fa) (sadd), آب‌بَنْد (fa) (âb-band)

• Plautdietsch: Daum m
• Polish: tama (pl) f, zapora (pl) f
• Portuguese: barragem (pt) f, represa (pt) f, açude (pt) m
• Quechua: hark'a
• Romanian: baraj (ro) n
• Russian: плоти́на (ru) f (plotína), да́мба (ru) f (dámba), гать (ru) f (gatʹ), на́сыпь (ru) f (násypʹ)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: на́сип m, бра́на f, га̏т m

  Latin: násip (sh) m, brána (sh) f, gȁt (sh) m

• Shan: ၽၢႆ (shn) (phǎai)
• Slovak: priehrada f, hrádza f
• Slovene: jez (sl) m
• Spanish: presa (es) f, represa (es) f, azud (es) m or f, azuda f, pesquera f, bocal m
• Swedish: damm (sv) n, dammbyggnad (sv)
• Tagalog: tarundon, saplad, prinsa
• Tajik: сарбанд (tg) (sarband), дамба (tg) (damba), дарғот (darġot), оббанд (obband)
• Tamil: அணை (ta) (aṇai)
• Tatar: буа (tt) (buwa)
• Telugu: ఆనకట్ట (te) (ānakaṭṭa)
• Thai: เขื่อน (th) (kʉ̀ʉan)
• Tibetan: ཆུ་རག (chu rag)
• Tigrinya: ግድብ (gədb)
• Turkish: baraj (tr), set (tr)
• Turkmen: bent (tk), damba
• Ukrainian: гре́бля (uk) f (hréblja), да́мба f (dámba)
• Urdu: بَنْد m (band), پُشْتَہ m (puśta)
• Uyghur: دامبا (damba), توغان (toghan)
• Uzbek: toʻgʻon (uz), damba (uz)
• Vietnamese: đập (vi)
• Welsh: argae (cy) m
• Yiddish: דאַם m (dam)
• Zhuang: fai

Verb

dam (third-person singular simple present dams, present participle damming, simple past and past participle dammed)

1. (transitive) To block the flow of water.
   • 1682, Thomas Otway, Venice Preserv’d, or, A Plot Discover’d. A Tragedy. […], London: […] Jos[eph] Hindmarsh […], →OCLC, Act I, scene i, page 4:

     Home I vvould go, / But that my Dores are hatefull to my eyes. / Fill'd and damm'd up vvith gaping Creditors, / VVatchfull as Fovvlers vvhen their Game vvill ſpring; […]

Derived terms

• dam up
• redam
• undam

Translations

block

• Amharic: ገደበ (gädäbä)
• Bulgarian: заприщвам (bg) (zaprištvam)
• Czech: přehradit pf
• Finnish: padota (fi)
• German: stauen (de), abdämmen (de), absperren (de)
• Indonesian: membendung (id)
• Italian: imbrigliare (it)
• Māori: pāpuni, puni
• Portuguese: represar (pt), barrar (pt)
• Spanish: represar (es), embalsar (es)

Etymology 2

Variant of dame. Doublet of domina and donna.

Noun

dam (plural dams)

2. Female parent, mother, generally regarding breeding of animals.
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto X”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 52:

     More dear […] than younglings to their dam.

   • 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:

     The dam runs lowing up and down, / Looking the way her harmless young one went.

   • 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 12, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:

     Hunters assure us, that to chuse the best dog, and which they purpose to keepe from out a litter of other young whelps, there is no better meane than the damme herselfe […].

   • 1819, Lord Byron, Don Juan, Part 1:

     she / Resolved that Juan should be quite a paragon, / And worthy of the noblest pedigree / (His sire was from Castile, his dam from Aragon) […].

   • 1974, Lawrence Durrell, Monsieur, Faber & Faber 1992, page 112:

     The sky was cloudless—the moon rolled across the surface like a lamb searching for its dam.

3. A kind of crowned piece in the game of draughts.

Coordinate terms

• (male parent): sire

Translations

female parent

• Bulgarian: ма́йка (bg) f (májka)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 母畜 (zh) (mǔchù), 母獸 / 母兽 (zh) (mǔshòu)

• Finnish: emä (fi)
• German: Muttertier (de)
• Hungarian: anyaállat (hu)
• Indonesian: induk (id)
• Japanese: メス (ja) (mesu), (for Bovidae) 牝 (ja) (めす, mesu), (for except of Bovidae) 雌 (ja) (めす, mesu)
• Latin: mātrix (la) f
• Malay: induk betina
• Māori: tīaka, karawa, uha (mi), uwha, kātua

Etymology 3

From Hindi दाम (dām), from Sauraseni Prakrit 𑀤𑀫𑁆𑀫 (damma, “coin”), from Sanskrit द्रम्म (drammá), from Ancient Greek δραχμή (drakhmḗ). Doublet of drachm, drachma, and dram.

Alternatively said to be possibly coined from the English phrase "I don't give a dam(n)," referring to its small worth.

Noun

dam (plural dams) (historical)

1. (India) An obsolete Indian copper coin, equal to a fortieth of a rupee.
   • 1839, William Holloway, A General Dictionary of Provincialisms, Written with a View to Rescue from Oblivion the Fast Fading Relics of By-gone Days, Lewes, East Sussex: Sussex Press: Printed and published by Baxter and Son, →OCLC, page 42:

     […] A small Indian coin; whence comes the saying "I don't care a dam for you," that is I don't value you a farthing, and not as generally given, "I don't care a damn" or a "curse for you." [Possibly a folk etymology.]

2. A former coin of Nepal, 128 of which were worth one mohar.

Etymology 4

Pronunciation spelling of damn.

Alternative forms

• dam'

Interjection

dam

1. (slang or pronunciation spelling) Damn.

Adjective

dam (not comparable)

1. (slang or pronunciation spelling) Damn.
   • 2020, Jacie Rowe III, White Lies, Black Truth, The Lost Light, page 196:

     Do not get too caught up in individual campism. The Most-High sent your spirits back on earth to fix yourselves, come together and wake up our people, so do your dam job and stop letting your fleshly desires control you.

Further reading

• dam on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• dam (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Dam in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)

Anagrams

• DMA, Mad, MAD, Adm, MDA, Adm., adm., mad, AMD, ADM

Afrikaans

Etymology

From Dutch dam, from Middle Dutch dam, from Old Dutch dam, from Proto-Germanic *dammaz.

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

dam (plural damme)

1. pond, basin
2. dam

Derived terms

• opgaardam
• studam

Albanian

Noun

dam m

1. Gheg form of dëm

Arem

Etymology

From Proto-Vietic *ɗam, from Proto-Mon-Khmer *p(ɗ)am; cognate with Vietnamese năm.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [dam]

Numeral

dam

1. five

Further reading

• Michel Ferlus, 2014, Arem, a Vietic Language, Mon-Khmer Studies 43.1-15, page 5

Azerbaijani

yaşıl dam
green roof

Etymology 1

From Old Anatolian Turkish طام (d̥am, dam), from Proto-Turkic *tām.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dɑm/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

dam (definite accusative damı, plural damlar)

1. roof
2. hovel, shack
3. dugout
4. cowshed, sheep cote (a structure where animals are held)

   donuz damı ― pigsty

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Persian دام (“trap”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dɑm/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

dam (definite accusative damı, plural damlar)

1. (figurative) lockup, jail, quod

   dama basdırmaq ― to lock up, to put in jail

2. (archaic) grid, net
3. (archaic) trap, snare

   Synonyms: tələ, cələ, duzaq

   dam qurmaq ― to set a trap

Declension

Declension of dam

	singular	plural
nominative	dam	damlar
definite accusative	damı	damları
dative	dama	damlara
locative	damda	damlarda
ablative	damdan	damlardan
definite genitive	damın	damların

Possessive forms of dam

	nominative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	damım	damlarım
sənin (“your”)	damın	damların
onun (“his/her/its”)	damı	damları
bizim (“our”)	damımız	damlarımız
sizin (“your”)	damınız	damlarınız
onların (“their”)	damı or damları	damları
	accusative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	damımı	damlarımı
sənin (“your”)	damını	damlarını
onun (“his/her/its”)	damını	damlarını
bizim (“our”)	damımızı	damlarımızı
sizin (“your”)	damınızı	damlarınızı
onların (“their”)	damını or damlarını	damlarını
	dative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	damıma	damlarıma
sənin (“your”)	damına	damlarına
onun (“his/her/its”)	damına	damlarına
bizim (“our”)	damımıza	damlarımıza
sizin (“your”)	damınıza	damlarınıza
onların (“their”)	damına or damlarına	damlarına
	locative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	damımda	damlarımda
sənin (“your”)	damında	damlarında
onun (“his/her/its”)	damında	damlarında
bizim (“our”)	damımızda	damlarımızda
sizin (“your”)	damınızda	damlarınızda
onların (“their”)	damında or damlarında	damlarında
	ablative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	damımdan	damlarımdan
sənin (“your”)	damından	damlarından
onun (“his/her/its”)	damından	damlarından
bizim (“our”)	damımızdan	damlarımızdan
sizin (“your”)	damınızdan	damlarınızdan
onların (“their”)	damından or damlarından	damlarından
	genitive
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	damımın	damlarımın
sənin (“your”)	damının	damlarının
onun (“his/her/its”)	damının	damlarının
bizim (“our”)	damımızın	damlarımızın
sizin (“your”)	damınızın	damlarınızın
onların (“their”)	damının or damlarının	damlarının

Cebuano

Etymology

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

Noun

dam

1. dam (a structure placed across a flowing body of water to stop the flow)
2. a reservoir

Crimean Tatar

Noun

dam (accusative [please provide], plural [please provide])

1. stable
2. roof
3. taste

Declension

Declension of dam

nominative	dam
genitive	damnıñ
dative	damğa
accusative	damnı
locative	damda
ablative	damdan

Synonyms

• (stable): aran
• (taste): lezet, nezet, tat, dad

Danish

Etymology 1

From Old Norse dammr (“dam”).

Noun

dam c (singular definite dammen, plural indefinite damme)

1. pond
2. corf, livewell (for storage of live fish under water)

Inflection

Declension of dam

common gender	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	dam	dammen	damme	dammene
genitive	dams	dammens	dammes	dammenes

Derived terms

• dambrug n

Etymology 2

Borrowed from French jeu de dames (“draughts”).

Noun

dam c or n

1. draughts, checkers

Etymology 3

Borrowed from French dame (“lady”).

Noun

dam c (singular definite dammen, plural indefinite dammer)

1. king (superior piece in draughts)

Inflection

Declension of dam

common gender	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	dam	dammen	dammer	dammerne
genitive	dams	dammens	dammers	dammernes

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dɑm/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: dam
• Homophone: Dam
• Rhymes: -ɑm

Etymology 1

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

Noun

dam m (plural dammen, diminutive dammetje n)

1. dam

Derived terms

general

• beverdam
• dammen
• het hek is van de dam
• lavadam
• muurdam
• rijsdam
• strekdam
• stuwdam
• visdam

toponyms

• Alblasserdam
• Amsterdam
• Appingedam
• Bakkersdam
• Bilderdam
• Boerdam
• Brigdamme
• Busch en Dam
• Dam
• Damme
• Dubbeldam
• Durgerdam
• Edam
• Giessendam
• Heerjansdam
• Ilpendam
• Krabbendam
• Kwadendamme
• Leerdam
• Leidschendam
• Maasdam
• Mildam
• Monnickendam
• Moorddam
• Muntendam
• Nieuwendam
• Obdam
• Onderdendam
• Oostendam
• Oostknollendam
• Polsbroekerdam
• Rijsdam
• Risdam
• Rotterdam
• Schardam
• Schiedam
• Schoorldam
• Spaarndam
• Steendam
• Stellendam
• Uitdam
• Veendam
• Volendam
• Waardamme
• Werkendam
• Westknollendam
• Yersekedam
• Zaandam
• Zwammerdam

Descendants

• Afrikaans: dam
• → Caribbean Hindustani: dám
• → Indonesian: dam (“dam”)
• → Papiamentu: dam
• → Saramaccan: dan
• → Sranan Tongo: dan, dam
  • → Caribbean Javanese: dham

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Middle French dame, from Spanish dama.

Noun

dam f (plural dammen, no diminutive)

1. (checkers) king (double draught/checker)

Related terms

• dammen

Descendants

• → Indonesian: dam (“draught/checker(s)”)

Etymology 3

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

dam

1. inflection of dammen:
   1. first-person singular present indicative
   2. (in case of inversion) second-person singular present indicative
   3. imperative

French

Etymology

Inherited from Latin damnum.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (predominant) /dam/, (dated) /dɑ̃/, (archaic) /dan/

• Audio (France (Vosges)):

  (file)

• Audio (Canada (Shawinigan)):

  (file)

• Homophones: dams (general), dame, dames (form 1), dans, dent, dents (form 2)

Noun

dam m (plural dams)

1. (obsolete except in phrases) damage
2. (religion) damnation

Derived terms

• au grand dam de

Related terms

• damner
• dommage

Further reading

• “dam”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012

Anagrams

• AMD

Friulian

Etymology

From Latin damnum.

Noun

dam m (plural dams)

1. damage

Synonyms

• daneç

Related terms

• danâ

Galician

Verb

dam

1. (reintegrationist norm) third-person plural present indicative of dar

Garo

Etymology

Borrowed from Bengali দাম (dam).

Noun

dam

1. price

Ghomara

Root
d-y-m
1 term

Etymology

Borrowed from Moroccan Arabic دام (dām), from Arabic دَامَ (dāma).

Pronunciation

• (Iɛraben) IPA^(key): [dɛm]

Verb

dam (intransitive)

1. to last

Conjugation

Conjugation of dam (Arabic-morphology)

singular plural 1st person 2nd person 3rd person 1st person 2nd person 3rd person perfect m dumt dumt, dumti dam dumna dumtum, dumtu damu f damet imperfect m ndum ddum idum ndumu ddumu idumu f ddum imperative m dum dumu f

References

• Mourigh, Khalid (2015) A Grammar of Ghomara Berber (Thesis)‎^[2], Leiden

Indonesian

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /ˈdam/ [ˈdam]
• Rhymes: -am
• Syllabification: dam

Etymology 1

From Dutch dam (“king (draught/checkers)”), from Middle French dame, from Old French dame, from Latin domina.

Noun

dam (plural dam-dam)

1. (games) draughts (UK), checkers (US)
2. checker (a pattern of alternating colours as on a chessboard)

Derived terms

• dam-dam

Etymology 2

From Dutch dam (“dam”), from Middle Dutch dam, from Old Dutch dam, from Proto-Germanic *dammaz.

Noun

dam (plural dam-dam)

1. dam (structure placed across a flowing body of water)

   Synonyms: bendungan, tanggul

Compounds

• dam sabo

Etymology 3

From Arabic دَم (dam, “blood”), from Proto-Semitic *dam-, from Proto-Afroasiatic *dam-.

Noun

dam (plural dam-dam)

1. (Islam) fine (a fee levied as punishment for breaking the law)

Etymology 4

Symbol

dam

1. (metrology) Symbol for decameter (decametre), an SI unit of length equal to 10¹ meters (metres).

Etymology 5

Noun

dam (plural dam-dam)

1. syllabic abbreviation of daerah militer (“military area”)

Etymology 6

Noun

dam (plural dam-dam)

1. small pangkur to take out the sago

Further reading

• “dam”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016

Irish

Pronoun

dam (emphatic damsa)

1. alternative form of dom (“for/to me”)

Komo

Noun

dam

1. honey

Lashi

Pronunciation

• (Waingmaw) IPA^(key): [dæm˧˧]
• (Mongko) IPA^(key): [taːm˥˧]
• Hyphenation: dam

Noun

dam (classifier khyiʼ)

1. plain
   • 2005, “Apoem ayang꞉ 11:2 [Genesis 11:2]”, in Jhoem꞉ mougsougˮ [The Book of the Bible]‎^[3]:

     Nyangnuˮ gi bidthu shoid khyoo꞉ nyid yhe꞉ loˮ boem ri Babelon jang꞉ dam dakhyiʼ moo juˮ lho꞉ nyid nyid boem agoˮ.

     They were leaving to the east when they reached a plain in Babylonia and stayed there.

Verb

dam

1. (stative) to be flat

References

• Qingxia Dai; Jie Li (2007), 勒期语研究 [The study of the Leqi language], Beijing: Central Institute for Nationalities Publishing House, →ISBN, page 303
• Hkaw Luk (2017), A grammatical sketch of Lacid‎^[4], Chiang Mai: Payap University (master thesis), page 165

Malay

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [dam]

  • Audio (Malaysia):

    (file)

• Rhymes: -am
• Hyphenation: dam

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Dutch dam (“king (draught/checkers)”), from Middle French dame, from Old French dame, from Latin domina.

Adjective

dam (Jawi spelling دم, comparative lebih dam, superlative paling dam)

1. Looking like a checkers board (of a surface).

Noun

dam (Jawi spelling دم, uncountable)

1. (board games) Draughts, checkers.

   Synonym: damdam

Compounds

• buah dam
• papan dam

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Arabic دَم (dam, “blood”), from Proto-Semitic *dam-, from Proto-Afroasiatic *dam-.

Noun

dam (Jawi spelling دم, plural dam-dam or dam²)

1. (Islam) A punishment given to someone for breaking certain rules when performing the hajj.

Etymology 3

Onomatopoeic.

Noun

dam (Jawi spelling دم, plural dam-dam or dam²)

1. (onomatopoeia) The sound of a drum being beaten.

Etymology 4

Onomatopoeic, from the sound of taking a whiff of the marijuana.

Noun

dam (Jawi spelling دم, plural dam-dam or dam²)

1. (Perlis) Marijuana, weed.

   Synonym: ganja

Further reading

• "dam" in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu (PRPM) [Malay Literary Reference Centre (PRPM)] (in Malay), Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017
  (also see "dam" at PRPM first version)

Maltese

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /daːm/
• Rhymes: -aːm

Etymology 1

Root
d-w-m
15 terms

From Arabic دَامَ (dāma).

Verb

dam (imperfect jdum, verbal noun dewm or dewmien or dawmien)

1. to last; to take (time, especially long time)

   Alternative form: diem

   Synonym: (imperfect only) jtul

Conjugation

Conjugation of dam (Form I, hollow, a ~ u)

positive forms
		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
perfect	m	domt	domt	dam	domna	domtu	damu
	f			damet
imperfect	m	ndum	ddum	jdum	ndumu	ddumu	jdumu
	f			ddum
imperative			dum			dumu
negative forms
		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
perfect	m	domtx	domtx	damx	domniex	domtux	damux
	f			damitx
imperfect	m	ndumx	ddumx	jdumx	ndumux	ddumux	jdumux
	f			ddumx
imperative			ddumx			ddumux

Etymology 2

Inherited from Arabic إِدَام (ʔidām).

Noun

dam m

1. tallow

Middle English

Etymology 1

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

Alternative forms

• damme, dame

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dam/

Noun

dam

1. dam (structure to block water)
2. body of water

Descendants

• English: dam
• Scots: dam

References

• “dam, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 2

Noun

dam

1. alternative form of dame

Etymology 3

Noun

dam

1. (when preceding labials) alternative form of dan

Middle Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish dam.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d̪aβ̃/

Noun

dam m (genitive daim)

1. ox

Quotations

• c. 1000, anonymous author, edited by Rudolf Thurneysen, Scéla Mucca Meic Dathó, Dublin: Stationery Office, published 1935, § 1, page 2, line 12:

  Dam ocus tinne in cach coiri.

  [There was] an ox and a side of bacon in each cauldron.

Descendants

• Irish: damh
• Manx: dow
• Scottish Gaelic: damh

Mutation

Mutation of dam

radical	lenition	nasalization
dam	dam pronounced with /ð(ʲ)-/, later /ɣ(ʲ)-/	ndam

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in Middle Irish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Further reading

• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “1 dam”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

Mizo

Etymology

From Proto-Kuki-Chin *dam (“healthy, well”).

Adjective

dam

1. alive
2. well, in good health

Derived terms

• chhandam
• damdawi

Further reading

• Lorrain, J. Herbert (1940), “dam”, in Dictionary of the Lushai language, Calcutta: Asiatic Society

Mokilese

Etymology

From Proto-Micronesian *Sama (“outrigger float”), from Proto-Oceanic *saman (“outrigger”), from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *saʀman (“outrigger”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdam/

Noun

dam

1. (nautical) outrigger
2. (by metaphorical extension) wife

Possessive forms

Possessive forms of dam (third person singular only)

singular third person possessor	dame
construct form	damen

References

• Harrison, Sheldon P.; Albert, Salich Y. (1977), Mokilese-English Dictionary‎^[5], Honolulu: The University Press of Hawaii, →ISBN, page 47

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology 1

From Danish dam, from Old Norse dammr m, damm n. The meaning dam (structure) probably comes from Middle Low German [Term?].

Noun

dam m (definite singular dammen, indefinite plural dammer, definite plural dammene)

1. a pond
2. a dam (structure)

Synonyms

• demning (structure)

Etymology 2

From French jeu de dames.

Noun

dam m (definite singular dammen, indefinite plural dammer, definite plural dammene)

1. the game of checkers (US) or draughts (UK)

References

• “dam” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology 1

From Middle Norwegian dammr m, from Old Norse damm n. The meaning dam (structure) probably comes from Middle Low German [Term?].

Noun

dam m (definite singular dammen, indefinite plural dammar, definite plural dammane)

1. a pond
2. a dam (structure)

Synonyms

• demning (structure)

Etymology 2

From French jeu de dames.

Noun

dam m (definite singular dammen, indefinite plural dammar, definite plural dammane)

1. the game of checkers (US) or draughts (UK)

References

• “dam” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Occitan

Alternative forms

• ab (Gard)
• amb (Languedoc)
• ambé (Provençal)
• dab (Gascony)
• damb (Gascony)
• emb (Limousin)
• embé (Provençal)

Pronunciation

• Audio (Béarn):

  (file)

• Audio (Languedoc):

  (file)

Adverb

dam

1. (Gascony) (accompaniment) with
   • 2012, Joan-Pau Ferré, Eth Arrestoth, 2014, Éditions des Régionalismes, Cressé, page 12.

     Cada an, que pujava peth Mont Valièr amont, dam eras vacas, nà amontanhar.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Old Irish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈd̪aβ̃/

Etymology 1

From Proto-Celtic *damos, from Proto-Indo-European *dm̥h₂-ó- (“bull”) (compare Albanian dem (“bullock”), Persian دام (dâm, “livestock”), Ancient Greek δάμαλος (dámalos, “calf”)), from *demh₂- (“to tame”) (compare Old Irish daimid (“to allow, give in”), Latin domō, English tame).

Noun

dam m (genitive daim)

1. ox
2. stag
3. (by extension) hero, champion

Declension

Masculine o-stem

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	dam	damL	daimL, doim
vocative	daim, doim	damL	daumuH, dumu, damu
accusative	damN	damL	daumuH, dumu, damu
genitive	daimL, doim	dam	damN
dative	daumL, dum, dam	damaib	damaib

Initial mutations of a following adjective:

• ^H = triggers aspiration
• ^L = triggers lenition
• ^N = triggers nasalization

Quotations

• c. 800, Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 499–712, Wb. 10^d6

  .i. do·fuáircc .i. ar is bés leosom in daim do thúarcuin ind arbe

  which tramples, i.e. for it is custom among them to have the oxen trample on the corn

Derived terms

• damán m (“calf”)

Descendants

• Middle Irish: dam
  • Irish: damh
  • Manx: dow
  • Scottish Gaelic: damh

Noun

dam f

1. hind, cow (old feminine form of previous)

Further reading

• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “1 dam ‘ox’”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “2 dam ‘hind, cow’”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

dam

1. second-person singular imperative of daimid

Verb

·dam

1. inflection of daimid:
   1. third-person singular present indicative conjunct
   2. first-person singular present subjunctive conjunct

Etymology 3

Pronoun

dam

1. alternative form of dom (“to/for me”)

Mutation

Mutation of dam

radical	lenition	nasalization
dam	dam pronounced with /ð-/	ndam

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in Old Irish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Polish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdam/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -am
• Syllabification: dam

Verb

dam

1. first-person singular future of dać

Noun

dam

1. genitive plural of dama

Rohingya

Alternative forms

• 𐴊𐴝𐴔𐴢 (dam) — Hanifi Rohingya script

Etymology

From Magadhi Prakrit 𑀤𑀫𑁆𑀫 (damma), from Sanskrit দ্ৰম্ম (drámma), borrowed from Ancient Greek δραχμή (drakhmḗ). Cognate with Bengali দাম (dam).

Noun

dam (Hanifi spelling 𐴊𐴝𐴔𐴢)

1. price

   Synonyms: dor, kimot

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from Ottoman Turkish دام (dam), from Old Turkic [script needed] (tam), from Proto-Turkic *tām.

Noun

dam n (plural damuri)

1. cowshed

Declension

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	dam	damul	damuri	damurile
genitive-dative	dam	damului	damuri	damurilor
vocative	damule		damurilor

San Juan Guelavía Zapotec

Noun

dam

1. owl

References

• López Antonio, Joaquín; Jones, Ted; Jones, Kris (2012), Vocabulario breve del Zapoteco de San Juan Guelavía‎^[6] (in Spanish), second electronic edition, Tlalpan, D.F.: Instituto Lingüístico de Verano, A.C., pages 14, 23, 40

Sumerian

Romanization

dam

1. romanization of 𒁮 (dam)

Swedish

Etymology

From French dame.

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

• IPA^(key): /dɑːm/

Noun

dam c

1. a lady ((respectful way to refer to a) woman – similar tone to English in different contexts)

   Coordinate term: herre

   en äldre dam

   an older lady

   Mina damer och herrar, stunden ni alla har väntat på ...

   [My] ladies and gentlemen, the moment you all have been waiting for ...

   en ung dam

   a young lady

   damerna först

   [the] ladies first

   vackra damer

   beautiful ladies

   2. a woman (idiomatically, in some contexts, for example women's clothing and women's sports – often paired with herre as a respectful term for a man)

      damkläder / herrkläder

      women's [lady] clothing / men's clothing

      damfotboll / herrfotboll

      women's [lady] soccer / men's soccer

      damtoalett / herrtoalett

      ladies' [lady] room / men's room

      damkör / manskör

      women's [lady] choir / men's choir

      (Not perfectly consistent, as seen here.)

3. (informal, in "damernas" (the ladies')) the ladies' room, the ladies' (short for damernas toalett)

   Synonym: damtoaletten

   Coordinate term: herrarnas

   gå till damernas

   go to the ladies' room [as a location]

   gå på damernas

   go to [and use] the ladies' room

   inne på damernas

   in the ladies' room [as a location]

   See the usage notes for inuti. See also the usage examples for toalett.

4. (board games) checkers, draughts

   Synonym: damspel

5. (card games, chess, checkers) a queen

   Synonym: drottning

   ruter dam ― queen of diamonds

Declension

Declension of dam

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	dam	dams
	definite	damen	damens
plural	indefinite	damer	damers
	definite	damerna	damernas

Synonyms

• (in chess): drottning
• (checkers): damspel

Derived terms

• damallsvenskan
• damavdelning
• dambadhus
• dambandy
• dambastu
• dambekantskap
• dambesök
• dambinda
• dambjudning
• dambonde
• dambricka
• dambräde
• dambyxor
• damcykel
• damdubbel
• damfinal
• damfotboll
• damfrisering
• damfrisör
• damfrisörska
• damgambit
• damgolf
• damhandboll
• damhatt
• damidrott
• damig
• damighet
• damkappa
• damklass
• damkläder
• damknäppning
• damkonfektion
• damkör
• damlag
• damlandslag
• dammiddag
• damorkester
• damrum
• damsadel
• damsenior
• damsida
• damsingel
• damskidåkning
• damsko
• damspel
• damstafett
• damstrumpa
• damsällskap
• damtidning
• damtoalett
• damtävling
• damunderkläder
• damväska
• hovdam

See also

• parant

Playing cards in Swedish · kort (layout · text)
ess, äss	tvåa, två	trea, tre	fyra	femma, fem	sexa, sex	sjua, sju
åtta	nia, nio	tia, tio	knekt	dam	kung	joker

References

• “dam”, in Svensk ordbok [Dictionary of Swedish] (in Swedish)
• “dam”, in Svenska Akademiens ordlista [Wordlist of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)
• “dam”, in Svenska Akademiens ordbok [Dictionary of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)

Turkish

Etymology

From Ottoman Turkish طام (dam), from Proto-Turkic *tām. Cognate with Uyghur تام (tam, “wall”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdam/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -am

Noun

dam (definite accusative damı, plural damlar)

1. roof
2. cowshed, sheep cote (a structure where animals are held)
   • 2005, Teoman Ergül, İşgal: "Padişah Efendimizin konukları" (İnkılâp Kitabevi Yayınları)‎^[7], İnkılâp, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 281:

     ... damdaki hayvanlar huysuzlaştılar . Bir ara dayıbaşının öksürüğünü yanlarında duydular , alelacele otların arkasında saklandılar . Hüsmen onları görmedi . Hayvanların yerinde olduğunu görünce , kafasını iki yana sallayarak çekip gitti ...

     ... the animals in the cote became grumpy. At one point, they heard the uncle's cough next to them, and they hurriedly hid behind the grass. Husmen did not see them. When he saw that the animals were in place, he shook his head and walked away...

3. (figurative, informal) lockup, jail
   • 2005 June 1, Prof. Dr. Gürsel Aytaç, Edebiyat yazıları 1 (Ed. dizisi)‎^[8], Gündoğan Yayınları, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 61:

     ... dama tıktılar, mapus damına tıktılaaar!.. Yetiş!..» diye avaz avaz bağırmış, sonra da yaşlı kadının güven veren kollarına düşmüş bayılmışçasına kendinden geçmiş, dalgın, mutlu, tam attmı ahırdan çıkarmıştı ki, kapı çalındı. Kapı ...

     They put him in the can, they put him in the slammer!.. Come on!.. " he shouted at the top of his voice, and then he fell into the reassuring arms of the old woman, ecstatic, pensive, happy, as if he had fainted. He had just taken his horse out of the stable when there was a knock on the door.

Declension

Declension of dam

singular plural nominative dam damlar definite accusative damı damları dative dama damlara locative damda damlarda ablative damdan damlardan genitive damın damların Possessive forms nominative singular plural 1st singular damım damlarım 2nd singular damın damların 3rd singular damı damları 1st plural damımız damlarımız 2nd plural damınız damlarınız 3rd plural damları damları definite accusative singular plural 1st singular damımı damlarımı 2nd singular damını damlarını 3rd singular damını damlarını 1st plural damımızı damlarımızı 2nd plural damınızı damlarınızı 3rd plural damlarını damlarını dative singular plural 1st singular damıma damlarıma 2nd singular damına damlarına 3rd singular damına damlarına 1st plural damımıza damlarımıza 2nd plural damınıza damlarınıza 3rd plural damlarına damlarına locative singular plural 1st singular damımda damlarımda 2nd singular damında damlarında 3rd singular damında damlarında 1st plural damımızda damlarımızda 2nd plural damınızda damlarınızda 3rd plural damlarında damlarında ablative singular plural 1st singular damımdan damlarımdan 2nd singular damından damlarından 3rd singular damından damlarından 1st plural damımızdan damlarımızdan 2nd plural damınızdan damlarınızdan 3rd plural damlarından damlarından genitive singular plural 1st singular damımın damlarımın 2nd singular damının damlarının 3rd singular damının damlarının 1st plural damımızın damlarımızın 2nd plural damınızın damlarınızın 3rd plural damlarının damlarının

Derived terms

• ısıdam

Uzbek

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Afroasiatic *dam-

Proto-Semitic *dam-

Arabic دَم (dam)bor.

Classical Persian دَم (dam)bor.

Uzbek dam

Borrowed from Classical Persian دَم (dam).

Noun

dam (plural damlar)

1. moment, second

Vietnamese

Etymology

See đam. ‹d› here is the result of lenition (Proto-Vietic *k-t- > Middle Vietnamese ‹d› /ð/ > Modern Vietnamese ‹d›).

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [zaːm˧˧]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [jaːm˧˧]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [jaːm˧˧]

Noun

dam (classifier con)

1. alternative form of đam (“freshwater crab”)

   Dù ai béo bạo như tru,
   Về đất Kẻ Ngù cũng tóm như dam
   Ai mà gầy tóm như dam
   Về đất nhà Chàng, cũng béo như tru

   Whosoever as fat and ferocious as a buffalo,
   when coming to Kẻ Ngù, they'll be as lean as a crab.
   Whosoever as lean as a crab,
   when coming home to Chàng, they'll be as fat as a buffalo

Zoogocho Zapotec

Noun

dam

1. owl

References

• Long C., Rebecca; Cruz M., Sofronio (2000), Diccionario zapoteco de San Bartolomé Zoogocho, Oaxaca (Serie de vocabularios y diccionarios indígenas “Mariano Silva y Aceves”; 38)‎^[9] (in Spanish), second electronic edition, Coyoacán, D.F.: Instituto Lingüístico de Verano, A.C., page 215