noun
Meaning 1
Heed; attention.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, dialectal, rare, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
gaum
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
-
/ɡɔːm/
-
Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
-
rhymes with -ɔːm
noun
Meaning 2
Grime.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: rare, uncountable
Qualifier: Appalachia and other dialects
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
A bit, a small amount.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: dialectal, rare
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
A useless person.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: colloquial, dialectal, rare
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 5
A village.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: India, archaic
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 6
To understand; comprehend; consider.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: dialectal, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 7
To smear.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Appalachia, Midlands, Southern-US, UK, US, dialectal
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 8
Alternative form of gorm (to make a mess of).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: alt-of, alternative
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
The noun is from dialectal (Northern) English, from Middle English gome, from Old Norse gaum, gaumr (“heed, attention”), from Proto-Germanic *gaumō (“attention”), from Proto-Indo-European *ghowe- (“to heed, pay attention”). The verb is from Middle English *gomen, from the noun. Compare native Middle English yemen, from Old English ġīeman (“to care for, heed”), and Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌿𐌼𐌾𐌰𐌽 (gaumjan, “observe”).
Unknown. Possibly related to gaum (“smear”, verb).
Unknown.
Probably a variant of gom (an Irish English slang term for a foolish person), but possibly related to or influenced by gorming, gawming (“clumsy, stupid”).
From Hindi [Term?].
Uncertain; perhaps a variant of gum.
Variant of gorm (“to make a mess of”), which see for more.