defoaming
|de-foam-ing|
🇺🇸
/diːˈfoʊmɪŋ/
🇬🇧
/diːˈfəʊmɪŋ/
(defoam)
remove or prevent foam
Etymology
'defoam' originates from the Latin prefix 'de-' and the English word 'foam' (from Old English 'fām'), where 'de-' meant 'off, away' and 'foam' meant 'froth or bubbles'.
'foam' comes from Old English 'fām' meaning 'froth'; the productive prefix 'de-' (from Latin 'de-') was combined with 'foam' in Modern English to form the technical verb 'defoam' and its derived forms like 'defoaming'.
Initially the components meant 'off/away' (de-) and 'froth' (foam); combined in modern technical usage they specifically mean 'to remove or prevent foam' and this technical sense has been stable.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the process or action of removing foam from a liquid or system (a technical term).
Defoaming is critical in the production of high-quality coatings.
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Verb 1
present participle or gerund form of 'defoam' — performing the action of removing foam.
The machine is defoaming the mixture before packaging.
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Adjective 1
describing something that reduces or prevents foam (e.g., a defoaming agent).
They added a defoaming agent to achieve a defoaming effect in the bath.
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Last updated: 2025/10/29 05:36