seam
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++LDOCE 5++seam /siːm/ noun [countable] 1 TIMa line where two pieces of cloth, leather etc have been stitched together 〔两块布、皮革等连接处的〕缝，线缝 She was repairing Billy’s trousers, where the seam had come undone. 她在补比利裤子的开线处。 Join the shoulder seams together. 把肩部缝起来。2 HEGa layer of a mineral under the ground 矿层seam of coal/iron etc 煤层/铁矿层等3 be coming/falling apart at the seams a) FAILif a plan, organization etc is coming apart at the seams, so many things are going wrong with it that it will probably fail 〔计划〕接近失败；〔组织〕分崩离析 The health service seems to be falling apart at the seams. 公共医疗卫生服务似乎到了崩溃的边缘。 b) CONDITION/STATE OF somethingif a piece of clothing is coming apart at the seams, the stitches on it are coming unfastened 〔衣服的〕线缝裂开，缝口破裂4. be bursting/bulging at the seams FULLif a room or building is bursting at the seams, it is so full of people that hardly anyone else can fit into it 〔房间、建筑〕爆满，过于拥挤5 a (rich) seam of something a thing, place, or group from which a type of thing can be obtained 某物很丰富，大量的某物 The 466-page book is a rich seam of statistical information. 这本466页的书是一个内容丰富的统计信息库。6. a line where two pieces of metal, wood etc have been joined together 〔两块金属、木头等的〕接合处，接缝
Examples from the Corpus
seam• Neil's shirt was torn at the shoulder seam.• Although sturdily built, the handsets were being returned because of cracking and splitting at the seams.• In New York and elsewhere, a new race consciousness was beginning to tear at the seams of the civil rights consensus.seam of coal/iron etc• The buried forests became seams of coal and the strata of mud and sand hardened into shale and sandstone.• And how he could work up to his thighs in water in a two-foot seam of coal.• As the seams of coal and iron were exhausted, or became unprofitable to work, mining and smelting diminished.Origin seam Old Englishseam nounChinese
leather line where have cloth, been of etc pieces two Corpus a
seam
seam /siːm/
noun [countable]
She was repairing Billy’s trousers, where the seam had come undone.
Join the shoulder seams together.
2. a layer of a mineral under the ground
seam of coal/iron etc
3. be coming/falling apart at the seams
a. if a plan, organization etc is coming apart at the seams, so many things are going wrong with it that it will probably fail:
The health service seems to be falling apart at the seams.
b. if a piece of clothing is coming apart at the seams, the stitches on it are coming unfastened
4. be bursting/bulging at the seams if a room or building is bursting at the seams, it is so full of people that hardly anyone else can fit into it
5. a (rich) seam of something a thing, place, or group from which a type of thing can be obtained:
The 466-page book is a rich seam of statistical information.
6. a line where two pieces of metal, wood etc have been joined together
seam /siːm/
noun [countable] Language: Old English
1. a line where two pieces of cloth, leather etc have been stitched together: 2. a layer of a mineral under the ground
seam of coal/iron etc
3. be coming/falling apart at the seams
a. if a plan, organization etc is coming apart at the seams, so many things are going wrong with it that it will probably fail:
b. if a piece of clothing is coming apart at the seams, the stitches on it are coming unfastened
4. be bursting/bulging at the seams if a room or building is bursting at the seams, it is so full of people that hardly anyone else can fit into it
5. a (rich) seam of something a thing, place, or group from which a type of thing can be obtained:
6. a line where two pieces of metal, wood etc have been joined together
