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loam

(lōm)

1. Soil composed of a mixture of sand, clay, silt, and organic matter.

2. A mixture of moist clay and sand, and often straw, used especially in making bricks and foundry molds.

tr.v. loamed, loam·ing, loams

To fill, cover, or coat with loam.

[Middle English lam, lom, clay, from Old English lām; see lei- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

loamy adj.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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