spume

1 of 2

noun

ˈspyüm

Synonyms of spume

: frothy matter on liquids : foam, scum

ocean spume

spumous

ˈspyü-məs

adjective

spumy

ˈspyü-mē

adjective

spume

2 of 2

verb

spumed; spuming

intransitive verb

: froth, foam

Did you know?

Spume is a word for froth or foam that has been a part of the English lexicon for more than 600 years. An early example is found in a 14th-century quotation from the English poet John Gower: "She set a cauldron on the fire … and let it boil in such a plight, till that she saw the spume [was] white." "Spume" was borrowed from Anglo-French espume or "spume," and can be traced further back to Latin spuma. "Spuma" is also akin to Old English "fām," a word that is the ancestor of the modern English "foam," a synonym of "spume." Another relative of "spuma" is "pumex," the Latin word for pumice, a volcanic rock with a somewhat foamy appearance that is formed from a rapidly cooling, frothy lava.

Examples of spume in a Sentence

Noun spume floating on the ocean

Recent Examples on the Web

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Noun

But for all those currents to crash together in a great spume of music and emotion on December 18, 1962, artists and audiences required a special room, the basic apparatus of togetherness in Europe’s musical tradition. —Justin Davidson, Curbed, 16 Oct. 2024