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warm

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warm¹

  • /wɔːm/ UK
  • /waːm/ Northumbria
  • /wɔɹm/ US

Rhymes with -ɔː(ɹ)m

Where it comes from

Etymology tree

Proto-Germanic *warmaz

Proto-West Germanic *warm

Old English wearm

Middle English warm

English warm

From Middle English warm, werm, from Old English wearm, from Proto-West Germanic *warm, from Proto-Germanic *warmaz, from one of:

* Proto-Indo-European *wór-mo-s, from *wer- (“to burn”), which is related to Hittite 𒉿𒊏𒀀𒉌 (warāni, “to burn”), Armenian վառել (vaṙel, “to burn, heat, warm”), Old Church Slavonic варити (variti, “to cook, boil”).

* Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰor-mo-s, from the root *gʷʰer- (“warm, hot”), in which case cognate with Ancient Greek θερμός (thermós) (making perhaps a distant doublet of thermos), Latin formus, Sanskrit घर्म (gharmá).

In any case cognate within Germanic to West Frisian waarm, Saterland Frisian woorm, Dutch warm, German warm, Swedish varm, Icelandic varmur.

adjective warmer · warmest · warme

  1. Of a somewhat high temperature, often but not always connoting that the high temperature is pleasant rather than uncomfortable. The tea is still warm.
  2. Friendly and with affection. We have a warm friendship.
  3. Having a color in the part of the visible electromagnetic spectrum between red and yellow-green.
  4. informal Close to a goal or correct answer. Earlier you were way off, but now you're getting warmer.
  5. Fresh, of a scent; still able to be traced.
  6. figuratively Communicating a sense of comfort, ease, or pleasantness. a warm piano sound
  7. archaic Ardent, zealous. a warm debate, with strong words exchanged
  8. dated, informal Well off as to property, or in good circumstances; prosperous. You shall have a draught upon him, payable at sight: and let me tell you he is as warm a man as any within five miles round him.
  9. archaic Requiring arduous effort. The circular iron platform over there is used in the task of tyring the wheels, a warm job, too, by the way.

Similar: warm, tepid, mild, balmy

warm²

  • /wɔːm/ UK
  • /waːm/ Northumbria
  • /wɔɹm/ US

Rhymes with -ɔː(ɹ)m

Where it comes from

Etymology tree

Proto-Germanic *warmaz

Proto-Indo-European *-yeti

Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti

Proto-Germanic *-janą

Proto-Germanic *warmijaną

Proto-West Germanic *warmijan

Old English wierman

Proto-West Germanic *warmōn

Old English wearmian

Middle English warmen

English warm

From Middle English warmen, wermen, wyrmen, from Old English wierman (“to make warm”) and wearmian (“to become warm”), from Proto-West Germanic *warmijan and *warmōn. Cognate with Dutch warmen, German wärmen, Swedish värma.

verb warms · warming · warmed · warme

  1. transitive To make or keep warm. Then shall it [an ash tree] be for a man to burn; for he will take thereof and warm himself.
  2. intransitive To become warm, to heat up. My socks are warming by the fire.
  3. intransitive (sometimes in the form warm up) To favour increasingly. Mr. Campion appeared suitably impressed and she warmed to him. He was very easy to talk to with those long clown lines in his pale face, a natural goon, born rather too early she suspected.
  4. ditransitive To cause (someone) to favour (something) increasingly. It is with no small degree of irony that I confess that immersing myself in an interdisciplinary project has warmed me to the seductions of disciplinary perspectives.
  5. intransitive To become ardent or animated. The speaker warms as he proceeds.
  6. transitive To make engaged or earnest; to interest; to engage; to excite ardor or zeal in; to enliven. 1717 November 20, Alexander Pope, letter to the Bishop of Rochester there was a collection of all that had been written […] : I warmed my head with them.
  7. transitive To give emotional warmth to a person. That is just the way God tells me this book is His Word. I read it, and it warms me and gives me light.
  8. colloquial, transitive To beat or spank. Not bothering to turn around and not missing a mouthful, Myrtle comforted her with threats of "I'll warm your bottom"; "I'll turn you over to your dad"; "I'll lock you in the truck"; "I'll send for the bogey man" — all of which Darleen ignored […]
  9. colloquial, transitive To scold or abuse verbally.
  10. transitive To prepopulate (a cache) so that its contents are ready for other users.
  11. Internet, transitive To send electronic mail from (a domain) to improve its reputation for mail sending.

noun warms · warme

  1. colloquial The act of warming, or the state of being warmed; a heating. Shall I give your coffee a warm in the microwave?

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