loam

UK: /ˈləʊm/ US: /loʊm/ ,(lōm)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

loam /loʊm/   n. [uncountable]

1. Agriculture, Geology a rich soil containing a relatively equal mixture of sand and silt and a somewhat smaller amount of clay.

loam•y, adj., -i•er, -i•est. 

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

loam  (lōm), n. 

1. Agriculture, Geology a rich, friable soil containing a relatively equal mixture of sand and silt and a somewhat smaller proportion of clay.
2. a mixture of clay, sand, straw, etc., used in making molds for founding and in plastering walls, stopping holes, etc.
3. earth or soil.
4. [Obs.] clay or clayey earth.

v.t. 

5. to cover or stop with loam.

• bef. 900; late Middle English lome, earlier lam(e), Old English lām; cognate with Dutch leem, German Lehm loam, clay; akin to lime¹

loam′i•ness, n. 
loam′less, adj. 
loam′y, adj. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

loam / ləʊm/ noun

1. rich soil consisting of a mixture of sand, clay, and decaying organic material
2. a paste of clay and sand used for making moulds in a foundry, plastering walls, etc

verb

1. (transitive) to cover, treat, or fill with loam

Etymology: Old English lām; related to Old Swedish lēmo clay, Old High German leimo

ˈloamy adjective

ˈloaminess noun