seam
seam Lexical Profile
seam Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A line along which two pieces of fabric, leather, or other flexible material are sewn together in a garment or textile article.
"The tailor carefully pressed the side seam of the jacket to ensure a smooth fit."
A line, groove, or ridge formed where the edges of two rigid pieces of wood, metal, or stone meet and join.
"The carpenter sanded the tabletop until the seam between the two oak planks was barely visible."
An underground layer or stratum of coal, ore, or another mineral that is thick enough to be profitably mined.
"Geologists discovered a rich seam of anthracite coal running beneath the mountain ridge."
A raised ridge of stitching circling a cricket ball or baseball, used by bowlers and pitchers to grip and spin the ball.
"The fast bowler angled the seam toward the slips to make the ball deviate off the pitch."
• verb
To join two edges of cloth, leather, or other material together by sewing a seam.
"She seamed the linen panels together before hemming the bottom edge of the curtains."
To mark a surface with deep lines, furrows, wrinkles, or cracks.
"Decades of working outdoors in the wind and sun had seamed the fisherman's weathered face."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'seam' (a line where two pieces of fabric or material are joined) with its homophone 'seem' (a verb meaning to appear or give the impression of being).
• Rhymes for seam
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English 'sēam' (meaning a suture or stitched edge), derived from the Proto-Germanic root '*saumaz', which is directly related to the verb 'sew'.