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. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Metal.) A firebrick wall, or a stone, which forms the front of the hearth of a blast furnace. [ 1913 Webster ]

Dam plate (Blast Furnace), an iron plate in front of the dam, to strengthen it. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

The dam runs lowing up and down,
Looking the way her harmless young one went. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A king or crowned piece in the game of draughts. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a genus of deer including the Eurasian fallow deer, Dama dama.
Syn. -- genus Dama. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Damaged p. pr. & vb. n. Damaging ] [ Cf. OF. damagier, domagier. See Damage, n. ] To occasion damage to the soundness, goodness, or value of; to hurt; to injure; to impair. [ 1913 Webster ]

He . . . came up to the English admiral and gave him a broadside, with which he killed many of his men and damaged the ship. Clarendon. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool cutteth off the feet and drinketh damage. Prov. xxvi. 6. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ In common-law actions, the jury are the proper judges of damages. [ 1913 Webster ]

Consequential damage. See under Consequential. --
Exemplary damages (Law), damages imposed by way of example to others. Similar in purpose to vindictive damages, below. --
Nominal damages (Law), those given for a violation of a right where no actual loss has accrued. --
vindictive damages or
punitive damages, those given specially for the punishment of the wrongdoer.

Syn. -- Mischief; injury; harm; hurt; detriment; evil; ill. See Mischief. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To receive damage or harm; to be injured or impaired in soundness or value; as, some colors in cloth damage in sunlight. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. OF. damageable, F. dommageable for sense 2. ] 1. Capable of being injured or impaired; liable to, or susceptible of, damage; as, a damageable cargo. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Hurtful; pernicious. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

That it be not damageable unto your royal majesty. Hakluyt. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. changed so as to reduce value, function, or other desirable trait; -- usually not used of persons. Opposite of undamaged. [ Narrower terms: battered, beat-up, beaten-up, bedraggled, broken-down, dilapidated, ramshackle, tumble-down, unsound; bent, crumpled, dented; blasted, rent, ripped, torn; broken-backed; burned-out(prenominal), burned out(predicate), burnt-out(prenominal), burnt out(predicate); burst, ruptured; corroded; cracked, crackled, crazed; defaced, marred; hurt, weakened; knocked-out(prenominal), knocked out; mangled, mutilated; peeling; scraped, scratched; storm-beaten ] Also See blemished, broken, damaged, destroyed, impaired, injured, unsound. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. Rendered imperfect by impairing the integrity of some part, or by breaking. Opposite of unbroken. [ Narrower terms: busted; chipped; cracked; crumbled, fragmented; crushed, ground; dissolved; fractured; shattered, smashed, splintered; split; unkept, violated ] Also See: damaged, imperfect, injured, unsound.
Syn. -- broken. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

3. being unjustly brought into disrepute; as, her damaged reputation.
Syn. -- discredited. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

4. made to appear imperfect; -- especially of reputation; as, the senator's seriously damaged reputation.
Syn. -- besmirched, flyblown, spotted, stained, sullied, tainted, tarnished. [ WordNet 1.5 ]