loom

English

English Wikipedia has an article on:

loom (disambiguation)

Wikipedia

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /luːm/
• (US) IPA^(key): /lum/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -uːm

Etymology 1

From Middle English lome, from Old English lōma, ġelōma (“tool, utensil, implement, article of furniture, household effect”) (also as andlōma, andġelōma, andlāma (“utensil, instrument, implement, tool, vessel”), from Proto-West Germanic *lōmō, *lamō (“tool, utensil”), of uncertain origin. Cognate with Dutch alaam, allaam (“tool, household ware or good, appliance”), from Middle Dutch andlame. Perhaps originally meaning "a thing of frequent use, thing repeatedly needed", in which case, akin to Old English ġelōme (“often, frequently, continually, repeatedly”), from Proto-Germanic *ga- + *lōmiz, *lōmijaz (“lame, halt”), from Proto-Indo-European *lem- (“to break, soften”).

Compare Old High German giluomo, kilōmo (“often, frequently”), Old High German luomen (“to wear out, fatigue”), Old High German *luomī (as in gastluomī (“hospitality”), Old English lama (“lame”). See lame.

Noun

loom (plural looms)

1. A utensil; tool; a weapon; (usually in compound) an article in general.

   heirloom, workloom

2. A frame or machine of wood or other material, in which a weaver forms cloth out of thread; a machine for interweaving yarn or threads into a fabric, as in knitting or lace making.
   • January 8, 1751, Samuel Johnson, "The Mischiefs of Total Idleness" in The Rambler

     Hector, when he sees Andromache overwhelmed with terror, sends her for consolation to the loom and the distaff.

3. The part of an oar which is between the grip or handle and the blade; the shaft.

Derived terms

Translations

Etymology 2

Shetland dialect, denoting a diver or guillemot, from Old Norse lómr, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *leh₂- (“to howl”) (expressive root).

Noun

loom (plural looms)

1. (dated) loon (bird of order Gaviiformes)

Translations

References

• Pokorny, Julius (1959) “650-51”, in Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Indo-European Etymological Dictionary] (in German), volume 2, Bern, München: Francke Verlag, pages 650-51

Etymology 3

From Old Norse ljóma (“to shine”).

Verb

loom (third-person singular simple present looms, present participle looming, simple past and past participle loomed) (intransitive)

1. To appear indistinctly, e.g. when seen on the horizon or through the murk.

   The clouds loomed over the mountains.

   • 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, , →OCLC, Canto XV, page 24:

     […] yonder cloud
     That rises upward always higher,
     ⁠And onward drags a labouring breast,
     ⁠And topples round the dreary west,
     A looming bastion fringed with fire.

2. (figurative) To appear in an exaggerated or threatening form; (of a person or thing) to tower; (of an idea) to impressively or intimidatingly occupy the mind; (of an event) to be imminent.
   • 2011 August 7, Chris Bevan, “Man City 2 - 3 Man Utd”, in BBC Sport‎:

     With no extra-time to be played and penalties looming, the Portuguese winger pounced on some hesitant City defending to run on to a Wayne Rooney clearance, round Joe Hart and slot home.

   • 2021 November 3, Paul Clifton, “Network News: Rolling stock concerns as '701s' "not fit for purpose"”, in RAIL, number 943, page 21:

     In the meantime, SWR staff have warned privately that an acute shortage of rolling stock is looming, because the new trains are not ready.

3. (figurative) To rise and to be eminent; to be elevated or ennobled, in a moral sense.
   • 1822, John M. Mason, The Evangelical Ministry Exemplified in the Apostle Paul:

     On no occasion does he [Paul] loom so high, and shine so gloriously, as in the context.

Noun

loom (plural looms)

1. A distorted appearance of something as seen indistinctly or from afar.

Translations

References

Anagrams

• mool

Dutch

Etymology

Ultimately from Proto-Germanic *laum-, perhaps related to *lamaz (“withered, lame”). Compare the verb lummelen (“to lounge about”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /loːm/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -oːm

Adjective

loom (comparative lomer, superlative loomst)

1. lazy, pleasantly slow

Inflection

Adverb

loom

1. lazily

Estonian

Etymology

Derived from looma (“to create”)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈloːm/
• Hyphenation: loom
• Rhymes: -oːm

Noun

loom (genitive looma, partitive looma)

1. animal
2. (informal) mammal

Declension

Derived terms

• loomaaed
• metsloom

Pnar

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /lom/

Noun

loom

1. hill