Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Dam
1.
A female parent; – used of beasts, especially of quadrupeds; sometimes applied in contempt to a human mother.
Our
sire
and dam
, now confined to horses, are a relic of this age (13th century) . . . .Dame
is used of a hen; we now make a great difference between dame
and dam
. T. L. K. Oliphant.
The
Looking the way her harmless young one went.
dam
runs lowing up and down,Looking the way her harmless young one went.
Shakespeare
2.
A king or crowned piece in the game of draughts.
Dam
,Noun.
[Akin to OLG., D., & Dan.
dam
, G. & Sw. damm
, Icel. dammr
, and AS. fordemman
to stop up, Goth. Faúrdammjan
.] 1.
A barrier to prevent the flow of a liquid; esp., a bank of earth, or wall of any kind, as of masonry or wood, built across a water course, to confine and keep back flowing water.
2.
(Metal.)
A firebrick wall, or a stone, which forms the front of the hearth of a blast furnace.
Dam plate
(Blast Furnace)
, an iron plate in front of the dam, to strengthen it.
Dam
,Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Dammed
(dămd)
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Damming
.] 1.
To obstruct or restrain the flow of, by a dam; to confine by constructing a dam, as a stream of water; – generally used with
in
or up
. I’ll have the current in this place
dammed
up. Shakespeare
A weight of earth that
dams
in the water. Mortimer.
2.
To shut up; to stop up; to close; to restrain.
The strait pass was
With dead men hurt behind, and cowards.
dammed
With dead men hurt behind, and cowards.
Shakespeare
To dam out
, to keep out by means of a dam.
Webster 1828 Edition
Dam
DAM
, n.1.
A female parent; used of beasts, particularly of quadrupeds.2.
A human mother, in contempt.3.
A crowned man in the game of draughts.DAM
,Noun.
DAM
, v.t.1.
To make a dam, or to stop a stream of water by a bank of earth, or by any other work; to confine or shut in water. It is common to use, after the verb, in, up, or out; as, to dam in, or to dam up, the water, and to dam out is to prevent water from entering.2.
To confine or restrain from escaping; to shut in.