Dam
(Dam) n. [OE. dame mistress, lady; also, mother, dam. See Dame.]
1. A female parent; — used of beasts, especially of quadrupeds; sometimes applied in contempt to a
human mother.
Our sire and dam, now confined to horses, are a relic of this age (13th century) . . . .Dame is used of
a hen; we now make a great difference between dame and dam.
T. L. K. Oliphant.
The dam runs lowing up and down,
Looking the way her harmless young one went.
Shak. 2. A king or crowned piece in the game of draughts.
Dam
(Dam), n. [Akin to OLG., D., & Dan. dam, G. & Sw. damm, Icel. dammr, and AS. fordemman
to stop up, Goth. Faúrdammjan.]
1. A barrier to prevent the flow of a liquid; esp., a bank of earth, or wall of any kind, as of masonry or
wood, built across a water course, to confine and keep back flowing water.
2. (Metal.) A firebrick wall, or a stone, which forms the front of the hearth of a blast furnace.
Dam plate (Blast Furnace),
an iron plate in front of the dam, to strengthen it.
Dam
(Dam), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Dammed (damd); p. pr. & vb. n. Damming.]
1. To obstruct or restrain the flow of, by a dam; to confine by constructing a dam, as a stream of water; —
generally used with in or up.
I'll have the current in this place dammed up.
Shak.
A weight of earth that dams in the water.
Mortimer. 2. To shut up; to stop up; to close; to restrain.
The strait pass was dammed
With dead men hurt behind, and cowards.
Shak. To dam out,
to keep out by means of a dam.
Damage
(Dam"age) n. [OF. damage, domage, F. dommage, fr. assumed LL. damnaticum, from L.
damnum damage. See Damn.]
1. Injury or harm to person, property, or reputation; an inflicted loss of value; detriment; hurt; mischief.
He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool cutteth off the feet and drinketh damage.
Prov. xxvi.
6.
Great errors and absurdities many commit for want of a friend to tell them of them, to the great damage
both of their fame and fortune.
Bacon. 2. pl. (Law) The estimated reparation in money for detriment or injury sustained; a compensation,
recompense, or satisfaction to one party, for a wrong or injury actually done to him by another.
In common-law actions, the jury are the proper judges of damages.
Consequential damage.
See under Consequential. — Exemplary damages (Law), damages imposed
by way of example to others. - - Nominal damages (Law), those given for a violation of a right where
no actual loss has accrued. — Vindictive damages, those given specially for the punishment of the
wrongdoer.