Meanings
plural loams
- countableuncountablegeographyA type of soil; an earthy mixture of sand, silt and clay, with organic matter to which its fertility is chiefly due.
Alexander died, Alexander was buried, Alexander returneth to dust, the dust is earth, of earth we make loam, and of why that loam whereto he was converted might they not stop a beer-barrel?
c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i] - countableuncountableartsA mixture of sand, clay, and other materials, used in making moulds for large castings, often without a pattern.
present singular third person loams · participle present loaming · participle past loamed · past loamed
- To cover, smear, or fill with loam.
- not comparableMade of loam; consisting of loam.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂leyH-“to smear”
- Proto-Germanic*laimaz
- Proto-West Germanic*laim
- Old Englishlām“clay, mud, mire, earth”
- Middle Englishlom
- Englishloam
From Middle English lom, lome, from Old English lām (“clay, mud, mire, earth”), from Proto-West Germanic *laim, from Proto-Germanic *laimaz, *laimô (“clay”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂leyH- (“to smear”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Leem (“loam”), West Frisian liem (“loam”), Dutch leem (“loam”), German Lehm (“loam”). Related also to lime.
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan terra franca
- terra francatype of soil
Chinese Mandarin 壤土, 沃土
- 壤土 (rǎngtǔ)type of soil
- 沃土 (wòtǔ)type of soil
- 亞砂土 /亚砂土 (yàshātǔ)type of soil
- 壚坶 /垆坶 (lúmǔ)type of soil
Czech hlína, půda
- hlínatype of soil
- půdatype of soil
Danish ler
- lertype of soil
Dutch leem, belemen
- leemtype of soil
- belemento cover or fill with loam
Estonian liivsavimullad
- liivsavimulladtype of soil
Finnish hiue, muottihiekka
- hiuetype of soil
- muottihiekkamixture for making moulds
- peittää hiukeeseento cover or fill with loam
French terre grasse, sol franc
- terre grassetype of soil
- sol franctype of soil
German Lehm, Formsand
- Lehmtype of soil
- Formsandmixture for making moulds
- einlehmento cover or fill with loam
Hungarian vályog
- vályogtype of soil
Italian terra grassa
- terra grassatype of soil
Japanese ローム
- ローム (rōm)type of soil
Māori onematua, oneharuru
- onematuatype of soil
- oneharurutype of soil
- tuataratype of soil
Polish glina zwykła, ił
- glina zwykłatype of soil
- iłtype of soil
- piasek formierskimixture for making moulds
- pokrywać iłemto cover or fill with loam
- pokryć iłemto cover or fill with loam
Portuguese solo franco
- solo francotype of soil
Russian сугли́нок
- сугли́нок (suglínok)type of soil
Spanish suelo franco
- suelo francotype of soil
Swedish mylla, lerjord
- myllatype of soil
- lerjordtype of soil
- formsandmixture for making moulds
Turkish balçık
- balçıktype of soil
Welsh lom
- lomtype of soil
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with loam
Sounds the same
Anagrams
Cite this entry
loam. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/loam
“loam.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/loam. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “loam,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/loam.
Source: loam on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.