# Dam

/ˈdæm/ (US) · /dˈæm/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/dam
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. water barrier

noun · CEFR B1

a strong wall built across a river to hold back water and sometimes create electricity.

For teachers: a barrier constructed across a waterway to impound water, typically for irrigation, flood control, or hydroelectric power generation.

- The government built a massive dam to provide water for the local farms.
- Engineers monitored the structural integrity of the concrete dam after the seasonal rains caused the reservoir levels to rise significantly.

### 2. animal mother

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

the female parent of an animal, especially a horse or a cow.

For teachers: the female parent of a quadruped animal, used primarily in the context of selective breeding and pedigrees.

- The prize-winning horse had a famous dam and an even more famous sire.
- The breeder carefully selected the dam for her calm temperament and proven track record of healthy offspring.

Usage: Commonly paired with 'sire' (the father) in livestock documentation.

Teaching tip: This sense is highly specific to farming and animal breeding; students will rarely encounter it in general conversation.

### 3. to block water

verb · CEFR B2

to build a wall to stop water from flowing.

For teachers: to obstruct or restrain the flow of water by means of a barrier.

- Beavers use branches and mud to dam the small stream behind our house.
- The local authorities decided to dam the creek to create a permanent water source for the new housing development.

Usage: Often used with the particle 'up' (to dam up a river).

## Examples

- The heavy rain put a lot of pressure on the dam.
- Engineers monitored the concrete dam closely during the spring thaw to prevent any structural failure from the rising river.
- The construction of the massive hydroelectric dam transformed the local economy but also displaced several indigenous communities whose ancestral lands were flooded to create the new reservoir.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.