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⇱ DAM Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

Dictionary Definition
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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
She went out to the edge of the dam for a drink.β€”πŸ‘ Image
Dick King-Smith

dam

2 of 4

verb

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 4

noun (2)

zoology : the female parent of an animal and especially of a domestic animal
the foal's dam

dam

4 of 4

abbreviation

dekameter

Synonyms of dam

Examples of dam in a Sentence

Noun (1) the river backed up behind the dam until it formed a new lake Verb ice floes were damming the river
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
This is small, beaver-dam-laden water with a sandy composition, and a few years ago, Kozminski caught a glimpse of something irregular sticking out of the sand. β€”πŸ‘ Image
Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 2 Apr. 2026 Some customers complain about large icicles and ice dams forming in the winter where there weren’t issues previously, which makes some homeowners question how well the system actually collects runoff. β€”πŸ‘ Image
Dan Simms, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
Verb
According to the Lake Garda Improvement Association, in the 1920s Harry Battistoni bought small farms along the Burlington/Farmington border, dammed up a small brook, and created Lake Garda. β€”πŸ‘ Image
Chris John Amorosino, Hartford Courant, 13 Mar. 2026 Tenuously held back by moraines – the jumble of rock and sediment deposited by glaciers at their edges – or dammed by glacier ice, these lakes are anything but stable. β€”πŸ‘ Image
Dan McGrath, The Conversation, 9 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dam

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 β€” 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

Time Traveler
The first known use of dam was in the 13th century

Phrases Containing dam

Rhymes for dam

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

β€œDam.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dam. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

: the female parent especially of a domestic animal

dam

2 of 3 noun
1
: a barrier preventing the flow of water
2
: a body of water held back by a dam

dam

3 of 3 verb
dammed; damming
1
: to provide or restrain with a dam
dam a stream
2
: to stop up : block
dammed-up feelings
Etymology

Noun

Middle English dam, dame "lady, female parent"

Noun

Middle English dam "barrier to hold back water"

Medical Definition

: a female parent β€”used especially of a domestic animal

dam

2 of 3 noun

dam

3 of 3 abbreviation
dekameter

Biographical Definition

(Carl Peter) Henrik 1895–1976 Danish biochemist

More from Merriam-Webster on dam

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