Forms: 1 fám, faam, (3 fam), 3–6 fame, 4–8 fome, (5 foome,) 7 foame, 7–9 Sc. faem(e, fame, faim, feim, feame, 6– foam. [OE. fám str. (? masc. or neut.) = OHG. feim (MHG. veim, Ger. feim) masc.:—WGer. *faimo- :—pre-Teut. *poimo- or *phoimo-. A parallel form with suffix -no- instead of -mo- appears in OSlav. pěna, Skr. phena, foam.
Joh. Schmidt regards the -mo- and -no- forms as divergent representations of an original with -mn- suffix, and considers the Lat. spūma (:—*spoimā) foam, pūmex pumice-stone, Zend paēman-, Lith. pēnas milk, to be also cognate.]
1. The aggregation of minute bubbles formed in water or other liquids by agitation, fermentation, effervescence, ebullition, etc.
Being the proper word for the product of the agitation of the waves, foam is more dignified than the synonymous froth, and usually implies more copious production.
a. 700. Epinal Gloss., 426. Famfaluca: leasung vel faam.
1393. Gower, Conf., II. 261.
| To hem she went and there she nome | |
| Both of the water and of the fome. |
a. 1440. Sir Degrev., 545.
| Melydore ys hure naume, | |
| Whyegh as the seys ffame. |
1513. Douglas, Æneis, I. viii. 76.
| The bittir blastis, contrarius all wais, | |
| Throw wallis huige, salt fame, and wilsum wayis, | |
| And throw the perrellus rolkis can ws drive; | |
| Hiddir at ȝour coist ar few of ws arrive. |
1611. Bible, Hos. x. 7. As for Samaria, her King is cut off as the fome vpon the water.
1652. French, Yorksh. Spa, iv. 50. That water is best for outward uses which will bear sope best, and make the greatest fome therewith.
c. 1720. W. Gibson, Farrier’s Dispens., II. I. (1734), 32. Eggs … when beat into a Fome with Alum.
1786. Burns, Scotch Drink, ii.
| O thou, my Muse! guid auld Scotch Drink! | |
| Whether thro’ wimpling worms that jink, | |
| Or, richly brown, ream o’er the brink, | |
| In glorious faem, | |
| Inspire me, till I lisp and wink, | |
| To sing thy name! |
1878. Huxley, Physiography, iv. 64. The foam of the sea becomes opaque white, by the light being scattered from the particles of water into which a wave is broken.
transf. and fig. a. 1300. Cursor M., 26693 (Cott.).
| Quat es mans lijf bot fam, | |
| And a rek þat mai noght last, | |
| Bot skailles wit a windes blast. |
a. 1310. in Wright’s, Lyric P., xxxvii. 102.
| Mon is mad of feble fom, | |
| Ne hath he no syker hom. |
1858. Carlyle, Fredk. Gt. (1865), II. VI. iii. 155. There was a rush towards Berlin of what we will not call the scum, but must call the foam of mankind, rush of the idle moneyed populations from all countries.
1866. B. Taylor, Poems, The Test, 414.
| All sights and sounds to stay invited; | |
| The meadows tossed their foam of flowers; | |
| The lingering Day beheld, delighted, | |
| The dances of his amorous Hours. |
b. spec. The foaming saliva issuing from the month, e.g., in epilepsy, rabies, etc. Also, the froth of perspiration which gathers on the coat of a horse or other animal from intense exertion.
c. 900. trans. Bæda’s Hist., III. ix. [xi]. (1890), 184. Þa faam of his muðe ut eode.
c. 1290. S. Eng. Leg., I. 231/409. Brenninde fom out of is mouth after heom he caste.
c. 1320. The Seuyn Sages (W.), 913.
| Thourgh the mouht the fom was wight, | |
| The tusches in the tre he smit. |
1388. Wyclif, Luke ix. 39. A spirit takith hym, and sudenli he crieth, and hurtlith doun, and to-drawith hym with fome.
1612. Drayton, Poly-olb., xii. 200.
| Looke how two Boares, being set | |
| Together side by side, their threatning tusks doe whet, | |
| And with their gnashing teeth their angry foame doe bite, | |
| Whilst still they shouldring seeke, each other where to smite. |
1735. Somerville, The Chace, IV. 312.
| The pois’nous Foam | |
| Thro’ the deep Wound instill’d with hostile Rage. |
1875. W. S. Hayward, Love agst. World, 237. Her horse was covered with foam.
fig. 1555. Bp. Bonner, Profitable Doctrine, Sig. N iiij b. Baptysme … doeth thereby so so weaken & attenuate ye fome, or rage of concupiscence in vs … that [etc.].
1577–87. Holinshed, Chron., III. 872/1. King Henrie in his said booke is reported to rage against the diuell and antichrist to cast out his fome against Luther, to raise out the name of the pope, and yet to allow his law, &c.
1597. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., V. xix. § 11. Our Churches, in the foame of that good spirit which directeth such fierie tongues, they terme spitefully the temples of Baal, idoll synagogues, adhominable styes.
† c. Foam of lead = LITHARGE. Foam of nitre = APHRONITRE. Foam of oil = LEES. Foam of Copperas = COLCOTHAR. Obs.
1538. Elyot, Dict., Amurca, the mother or fome of all oyles. Ibid. Molybditis, the spume or fome of leade.
1601. Holland, Pliny, II. 421. As for the fome of nitre (which is commended for the best of all) the antient writers were of opinion, that it could not be made but when the dew fell.
1623. Cockeram, II. The Foame that riseth from Lead tryed, litargie.
1631. Widdowes, Nat. Philos., 24. Red vitrioll, or the fome of Copperasse.
2. Foaming water, the sea; (in early use occas. pl.) also salt, sea, water foam. arch. (poet.).
a. 1000. Riddles, iii. 4 (Gr.). Ȝifen bið ȝewreȝed … fam ȝewealcen.
c. 1290. S. Eng. Leg., I. 476/508. Huy gonne to seili swiþe in þat salte fom.
a. 1340. Cursor Mundi, 14408 (Trin.).
| Moyses was þe monnes nome | |
| He ladde þem þourȝe þe see fome. |
c. 1440. Bone Flor., 136.
| Aye the wynde was in the sayle, | |
| Over fomes they flett withowtyn fayle. |
1549. Compl. Scot., vi. 40. I sat doune to see the flouyng of the fame.
1613. J. D[ennis], Angling, I. xxx.
| That long ere Phœbus set in Westerne fome, | |
| He shall returne well loaden to his home. |
3. Min. = APHRITE.
† 4. [from the vb.] The action of foaming.
1573. Baret, Alv., F 823. The fome, or sprinckling vp of new wine, in ale we call it working.
5. attrib. and Comb.
a. General comb.: (a) simple attrib., as foam-bell, -flake, -froth, -globe, -wake, -whirl, -wreath; (b) objective, as foam-curber; (c) instrumental and originative, as foam-beat, -bedappled, † -bespawled, -born (also quasi-sb.), -crested, -flecked, -flowered, girt, -lit, -painted, -white, -wrought, adjs.; also foam-like adj. and adv.
1777. Warton, Poems, Ode, VIII. vi.
| Whose banks with echoing industry resound, | |
| Fenc’d by the foam-beat pier, and torrent-braving mound. |
1633. J. Fisher, True Trojans, IV. i.
| When Hyperions Sonne | |
| Shall couch in West his *fome-bedappled iades. |
1813. Hogg, Queen’s Wake, 306.
| Light as the fumes of fervid wine, | |
| Or *foam-bells floating on the brine. |
1612. Drayton, Poly-olb., II. Notes, 33.
| Old Proteus hath been knowne to leaue his finny Heard, | |
| And in their sight to spunge his *foame-bespawled beard. |
1862. E. Arnold, in Fraser’s Mag., LXVI. July, 114.
| But on these winds that round thy portal go | |
| Echoes from Aphrodite’s revels come, | |
| Marring our hymns. High Goddess! make men see | |
| The *‘Foam-Born’s beauty but a blot to thee. |
1884. W. C. Smith, Kildrostan, 85.
| Still Zeus to him was Great and Mighty, | |
| Still reigned the foam-born Aphrodite. |
a. 1795. Burns, Lament, 5.
| Ye *foam-crested billows, allow me to wail, | |
| Ere ye toss me afar from my loved native shore. |
1599. Nashe, Lenten Stuffe (1871), 51. A confused stirring to and fro of a Lepanto like host of unfatigable flood-bickerers, and *foam-curbers.
1803. Tennyson, Dream Fair Wom., x.
| So shape chased shape as swift as, when to land | |
| Bluster the winds and tides the self-same way, | |
| Crisp foam-flakes scud along the level sand, | |
| Torn from the fringe of spray. |
1842. Sir A. de Vere, Song of Faith, 253.
| The Dolphin’s sport | |
| O’er *foam-flecked waves and sapphire depths profound | |
| Shewed not a pageant to the eye of morn | |
| More bright. |
1876. Swinburne, Erechth. (ed. 2), 447.
| First the lord | |
| Whose wheels make lightnings of the *foam-flowered sea | |
| Here on this rock. |
1583. Stanyhurst, Æneis, I. (Arb.), 21. In *foame froth picturs, wyth Troian treasur, ar vpborne.
1817. Shelley, Rev. Islam, XI. x.
| As on a *foam-girt crag some seaman tost, | |
| Stares at the rising tide. |
1813. Scott, Rokeby, II. vii.
| Till *foam-globes on her eddies ride, | |
| Thick as the schemes of human pride | |
| That down life’s current drive amain, | |
| As frail, as frothy, and as vain! |
1871. Palgrave, Lyr. Poems, To a Painter, 117.
| Blue flash of steel-clad war, with gay | |
| Pennons toss’d foam-like o’er the fray. |
1876. T. Hardy, Hand Ethelb. (1890), 34. The music was not rattling on, and the ladies in their foam-like dresses were busily threading and spinning about the floor.
1793. Wordsw., Descr. Sk., 249.
| They cross the chasmy torrent’s *foam-lit bed, | |
| Rocked on the dizzy larch’s narrow tread. |
1593. Nashe, Christ’s T. (1613), 62. Her Alablaster wals were all furred and *fome-painted.
1876. Morris, Sigurd, III. 210. They see … a *foam-wake as the wet oars toss on high.
1841. in S. C. Hall, Ireland (1843), III. 175.
| Dark o’er the *foam-white waves | |
| The Giant’s Pier the war of tempests braves, | |
| A far-projecting, firm basaltic way | |
| Of clustering columns wedged in dense array. |
1817. Shelley, Rev. Islam, I. xvii. The *foam-wreaths which the faint tide wove. Ibid., VI. iv. Like *foam-wrought waterfalls.
b. Special comb.: foam-bow, a bow, similar to a rainbow, formed by sunlight upon foam or spray; foam-cock (see quot.); foam-dock, ? soap-wort (Saponaria officinalis); foam-omelet, -sauce (Cookery), a dish so called from its frothy appearance; foam-spar, foam-stone, see APHRITE and APHRODITE.
1830. Tennyson, Œnone, 60.
| And his cheek brightened as the foam-bow brightens | |
| When the wind blows the foam, and all my heart | |
| Went forth to embrace him coming ere he came. |
1874. Knight, Dict. Mech., I. 897/1. *Foam-cock. (Steam-engine.) A cock at the water-level to blow off scum.
c. 1500. Gloss. Harl., 3388, in Sax. Leechd., III. 327/1. *Fome dok.
1892–4. Encycl. Cookery (Garrett), II. 21/1. *Foam Omelet. Ibid., II. 400/1. *Foam Sauce.
