Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Seam
Seam
,Noun.
[OE.
seem
, seam
, AS. seám
; akin to D. zoom
, OHG. soum
, G. saum
, LG. soom
, Icel. saumr
, Sw. & Dan. söm
, and E. sew
. √ 156. See Sew
to fasten with thread.] 1.
The fold or line formed by sewing together two pieces of cloth or leather.
2.
Hence, a line of junction; a joint; a suture, as on a ship, a floor, or other structure; the line of union, or joint, of two boards, planks, metal plates, etc.
Precepts should be so finely wrought together . . . that no coarse
seam
may discover where they join. Addison.
3.
(Geol. & Mining)
A thin layer or stratum; a narrow vein between two thicker strata;
as, a
. seam
of coal4.
A line or depression left by a cut or wound; a scar; a cicatrix.
Seam blast
, a blast made by putting the powder into seams or cracks of rocks.
– Seam lace
, a lace used by carriage makers to cover seams and edges; – called also
– seaming lace
. Seam presser
. (Agric.)
(a)
A heavy roller to press down newly plowed furrows
. (b)
A tailor’s sadiron for pressing seams.
Knight.
– Seam set
, a set for flattering the seams of metal sheets, leather work, etc.
Seam
,Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Seamed
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Seaming
.] 1.
To form a seam upon or of; to join by sewing together; to unite.
2.
To mark with something resembling a seam; to line; to scar.
Seamed
o'er with wounds which his own saber gave. Pope.
3.
To make the appearance of a seam in, as in knitting a stocking; hence, to knit with a certain stitch, like that in such knitting.
Seam
,Verb.
I.
To become ridgy; to crack open.
Later their lips began to parch and
seam
. L. Wallace.
Seam
,Noun.
A denomination of weight or measure.
Specifically: (a)
The quantity of eight bushels of grain.
“A seam of oats.” P. Plowman.
(b)
The quantity of 120 pounds of glass.
[Eng.]
Webster 1828 Edition
Seam
SEAM
,Noun.
1. The suture or uniting of two edges of cloth by the needle.
The coat was without seam , woven from the top throughout. John 29.
2. The joint or juncture of planks in a ship's side or deck; or rather the intervals between the edges of boards or planks in a floor, &c. The seams of the ships are filled with oakum, and covered with pitch.
3. In mines, a vein or stratum of metal, ore, coal and the like.
4. A cicatrix or scar.
5. A measure of eight bushels of corn; or the vessel that contains it. [Not used in America.]
Definition 2024
seam
seam
See also: seám
English
A flat seam in fabric
Noun
seam (plural seams)
- (sewing) A folded back and stitched piece of fabric; especially, the stitching that joins two or more pieces of fabric.Wp
- 1977, Agatha Christie, An Autobiography, Part II, chapter4:
- Mind you, clothes were clothes in those days. […] Frills, ruffles, flounces, lace, complicated seams and gores: not only did they sweep the ground and have to be held up in one hand elegantly as you walked along, but they had little capes or coats or feather boas.
- 1977, Agatha Christie, An Autobiography, Part II, chapter4:
- A suture.
- A thin stratum, especially of coal or mineral.
- (cricket) The stitched equatorial seam of a cricket ball; the sideways movement of a ball when it bounces on the seam.
- An old English measure of grain, containing eight bushels.
- An old English measure of glass, containing twenty-four weys of five pounds, or 120 pounds.
- 1952, L. F. Salzman, Building in England, p. 175.
- As white glass was 6s. the 'seam', containing 24 'weys' (pise, or pondera) of 5 lb., and 2½ lb. was reckoned sufficient to make one foot of glazing, the cost of glass would be 1½d. leaving 2½d. for labour.
- 1952, L. F. Salzman, Building in England, p. 175.
- (construction) A joint formed by mating two separate sections of materials.
- Seams can be made or sealed in a variety of ways, including adhesive bonding, hot-air welding, solvent welding, using adhesive tapes, sealant, etc.
- A line or depression left by a cut or wound; a scar; a cicatrix.
- (figuratively) A line of junction; a joint.
- Joseph Addison (1672-1719)
- Precepts should be so finely wrought together […] that no coarse seam may discover where they join.
- Joseph Addison (1672-1719)
Translations
folded back and stitched piece of fabric
suture
thin stratum of mineral
stitched seam of a cricket ball
measure of grain
measure of glass
a joint formed by mating two separate sections of a material
a line or depression left by a cut or wound
Derived terms
Verb
seam (third-person singular simple present seams, present participle seaming, simple past and past participle seamed)
- To put together with a seam.
- To make the appearance of a seam in, as in knitting a stocking; hence, to knit with a certain stitch, like that in such knitting.
- To mark with a seam or line; to scar.
- Alexander Pope
- Seamed o'er with wounds which his own sabre gave.
- Alexander Pope
- To crack open along a seam.
- L. Wallace
- Later their lips began to parch and seam.
- L. Wallace
- (cricket) Of the ball, to move sideways after bouncing on the seam.
- (cricket) Of a bowler, to make the ball move thus.
Quotations
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, The Skeleton in Armor:
- Thus, seamed with many scars, / Bursting these prison bars, / Up to its native stars / My soul ascended!
Etymology 2
See saim.
Noun
seam (plural seams)
- (Britain, dialect, obsolete) grease; tallow; lard
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Shakespeare to this entry?)
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Dryden to this entry?)