skum

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /skʌm/
• Rhymes: -ʌm

Noun

skum

1. Obsolete form of scum (“surface impurities”).
   • 1825, William Kitchiner, The Cook's Oracle:

     […] by keeping the Water a certain time heating without boiling — the Meat swells — becomes tender — its fibres are dilated — and it yields a quantity of Skum, which must be taken off as soon as it appears.

Verb

skum (third-person singular simple present skums, present participle skumming, simple past and past participle skummed)

1. Obsolete form of scum (“remove surface impurities”).
   • 1674, John Starkey, The Chyrurgeons Store-House:

     two ounces of Hony of Roses well skummed

Anagrams

• MuSK, Musk, musk

Danish

Etymology

Either from an unattested Old Norse *skúm or borrowed from Middle Low German schūm, from Proto-Germanic *skūmaz m (“foam”), cognate with German Schaum, Dutch schuim.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /skomˀ/, [ˈsɡ̊ɔmˀ]

Noun

skum n (singular definite skummet, not used in plural form)

1. foam, froth (a mass of small bubbles in a liquid)
2. foam (plastic material with numerous small pockets of air or gas)

   Synonym: skumplast

Declension

Declension of skum

neuter gender	Singular
	indefinite	definite
nominative	skum	skummet
genitive	skums	skummets

Derived terms

• barberskum
• flødeskum
• havskum
• skumklædt
• skummadras
• skumme
• skumplast
• skumpude
• skumslukker
• skumsprøjt
• skumstribe
• skumtop
• sæbeskum
• ølskum

 

References

• “skum” in Den Danske Ordbog

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology 1

Compare with German Schaum

Noun

skum n (definite singular skummet, uncountable)

1. foam, froth
2. (from soap, shampoo) lather

Derived terms

• barberskum
• skumgummi
• skumme

Etymology 2

Verb

skum

1. imperative of skumme

References

• “skum” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /skʊmː/

Noun

skum n (definite singular skummet, uncountable)

1. foam, froth
2. (from soap, shampoo) lather

Derived terms

• barberskum
• skumgummi
• skumme

References

• “skum” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Swedish

Etymology

Inherited from Old Swedish skum, from Proto-Germanic *skūmaz. Possibly via Middle Low German schūm, cognate of German Schaum. Compare Dutch schuim, English scum.

Adjective

skum (comparative skummare, superlative skummast)

1. dim (somewhat dark – often with negative connotations)

   ett sunkhak med skum belysning

   a dive bar with dim lighting

2. shady, fishy, dodgy

   Vara inblandad i skumma affärer

   Be mixed up in shady business

   några skumma typer

   some shady characters

   • 1992, “Piff och Puff – Räddningspatrullen [signaturmelodi] [Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers [Chip 'n Dale – The rescue squad] [theme song]]”, Monica Forsberg (lyrics), Mark Mueller (music)‎^[1]performed by Haakon Pedersen:

     Nånting händer. Det är nåt skumt på gång. Men våra vänner, de vaktar dagen lång. Och de finns i trakten här omkring. Vill du ha hjälp så ring. Här kommer Piff och Puff, är på språng nu. Här kommer Piff och Puff, varje gång nu. Här kommer världens bästa räddningspatrull, som löser fallen för din skull. Här kommer Piff och Puff, är på språng nu. Här kommer Piff och Puff, varje gång nu. Här kommer världen bästa räddningspatrull, som löser fallen för din skull. Här kommer Piff och Puff, är på språng nu. Här kommer Piff och Puff, varje gång nu. Här kommer Piff och Puff.

     Something's happening. There's something shady underway. But our friends, they keep watch all day long. And they can be found in [they exist in] the area around here / the neighborhood [in that sense]. If you want help then call. Here comes Chip 'n Dale, are on the move now ["are on leap now" – could also mean ready to act ("pounce"), though that sense is less common and usually followed by "att ..."]. Here comes Chip 'n Dale, every time now^[sic]. Here comes the world's best rescue squad, that solves the cases for your sake. Here comes Chip 'n Dale, are on the move now. Here comes Chip 'n Dale, every time now. Here comes the world's best rescue squad, that solves the cases for your sake. Here comes Chip 'n Dale, are on the move now. Here comes Chip 'n Dale, every time now. Here comes Chip 'n Dale.

3. weird, strange

   Vilket skumt resonemang

   What a strange line of reasoning

   Jag såg en skum man i affären igår

   I saw a strange man at the store yesterday

Declension

Inflection of skum

Indefinite	positive	comparative	superlative1
common singular	skum	skummare	skummast
neuter singular	skumt	skummare	skummast
plural	skumma	skummare	skummast
masculine plural2	skumme	skummare	skummast
Definite	positive	comparative	superlative
masculine singular3	skumme	skummare	skummaste
all	skumma	skummare	skummaste

¹ The indefinite superlative forms are only used in the predicative.
² Dated or archaic.
³ Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine.

Synonyms

• (dark): mörk, oupplyst

Derived terms

• (dodgy, shady): skummis

See also

• skumrask
• skumraskaffär

Noun

skum n

1. foam, froth
2. head (foam on carbonated beverages)

Declension

Declension of skum

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	skum	skums
	definite	skummet	skummets
plural	indefinite	skum	skums
	definite	skummen	skummens

References

• skum in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• skum in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• skum in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)
• skum in Elof Hellquist, Svensk etymologisk ordbok (1st ed., 1922)