dam

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++

Related topics: Civil

dam1 /dæm/ ●●○ noun [countable]  1. TECa special wall built across a river or stream to stop the water from flowing, especially in order to make a lake or produce electricity 水坝，水堤，堤坝 →4  See picture on 见图 Page A4 Country 乡间 →4  See picture of 见图 ENERGY2. TA technical the mother of a four-legged animal, especially a horse 母兽〔尤指母马〕

Examples from the Corpus

dam• He was absolutely convinced that building a dam in Yosemite Valley was the proper thing to do.• A dam had saved the lake and its fish.• A high dam would end their migration, irrevocably.• the Hoover Dam in Nevada• Big, long icicles hanging from the eaves are not necessarily a sign of ice dams.• Work on the dam began in 1983 but was held up by economic and environmental objections.• The dam was finished and in service by September of 1941, an unbelievable sight.• The dams etc may also have been designed to attract industry and so benefit the country in the long term.

Related topics: Civil

dam2 verb (dammed, damming) [transitive] (also dam up)  1. TECto stop the water in a river or stream from flowing by building a special wall across it 筑坝拦〔水〕，在…中筑堤2  to stop something from being expressed or continuing 阻止，抑制 Once she allowed her anger to show, it could not be dammed up again. 她一旦发起脾气来就不可收拾。→ See Verb table

Examples from the Corpus

dam• In 1933, the Columbia was by far the biggest river anyone had ever dreamed about damming.• The Northwest had plenty of smaller rivers, much more easily dammed.• The Stanislaus River is dammed fourteen times on its short run to the sea.• The East Branch River was dammed in 1952.• Kidneys clog with protein from damaged muscles, damming up toxins in the blood.Origin dam1 (1300-1400) Middle Dutch

dam1 noundam2 verbChinese  

special river Corpus to stream stop a built across wall or a

dam

I

dam¹ /dæm/ noun [countable]1. a special wall built across a river or stream to stop the water from flowing, especially in order to make a lake or produce electricity
2. technical the mother of a four-legged animal, especially a horse

II

dam² verb (past tense and past participle dammed, present participle damming) [transitive] (also dam up)
1. to stop the water in a river or stream from flowing by building a special wall across it
2. to stop something from being expressed or continuing:
    Once she allowed her anger to show, it could not be dammed up again.