English

edit

Alternative forms

edit

Etymology

edit

From Middle English calm, calme, from Middle French calme, probably from Old Italian calma, of uncertain origin. Calma may derive from Late Latin cauma (heat of the midday sun), from Ancient Greek καῦμα (kaûma, heat, especially of the sun), from καίω (kaíō, I burn), or possibly from Latin caleō. Compare also Lombardic *chalm, *chalma (frozenness), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *kalmaz (frozenness, cold).

Displaced native Middle English smilte (quite, still, gentle) from Old English smylte (quiet, tranquil, calm, serene).

Pronunciation

edit

Adjective

edit

calm (comparative calmer or more calm, superlative calmest or most calm)

  1. (of a person) Peaceful, quiet, especially free from anger and anxiety.
    Antonyms: stressed, nervous, anxious
  2. (of a place or situation) Free of noise and disturbance.
    Antonym: disturbed
  3. (of water) with few or no waves on the surface; not rippled.
  4. Without wind or storm.
    Antonyms: windy, stormy

Synonyms

edit

Derived terms

edit

Translations

edit
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Noun

edit

calm (countable and uncountable, plural calms)

  1. (in a person) The state of being calm; peacefulness; absence of worry, anger, fear or other strong negative emotion.
  2. (in a place or situation) The state of being calm; absence of noise and disturbance.
  3. A period of time without wind.

Synonyms

edit

Derived terms

edit

Translations

edit

Verb

edit

calm (third-person singular simple present calms, present participle calming, simple past and past participle calmed)

  1. (transitive) To make calm.
    to calm a crying baby
    to calm the passions
    • 1697, Virgil, “(please specify the book number)”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. [], London: [] Jacob Tonson, [], →OCLC:
      to calm the tempest raised by Aeolus
  2. (intransitive) To become calm.

Synonyms

edit

Antonyms

edit

Derived terms

edit

Translations

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ John C. Wells (1982) Accents of English, volume 1, Cambridge University Press, § 3.1.9, page 206

Anagrams

edit

Catalan

edit

Etymology

edit

From calma, probably in imitation of French calme (adjective) and Spanish calmo.

Adjective

edit

calm (feminine calma, masculine plural calms, feminine plural calmes)

  1. calm
edit

Middle English

edit

Noun

edit

calm

  1. Alternative form of calme

Adjective

edit

calm

  1. Alternative form of calme

Romanian

edit

Etymology

edit

Borrowed from French calme.

Pronunciation

edit

Noun

edit

calm n (plural calmuri)

  1. composure (calmness of mind or matter, self-possession)
edit