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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Seam Definition, Usage & Real-Life Examples (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：join line (seam)

seam 🔊

/siːm/

The line you can see where two pieces of fabric are joined together, especially in clothing.

Seam illustration: close-up of a stitched denim jeans seam line

join line 🔊

➕

/ˌdʒɔɪn ˈlaɪn/

The visible line formed when two pieces of material, especially fabric, are stitched together.

📁 Category：Fashion Trends 🔖 Level：Beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Old English 'seam', meaning the joining, suture; related to 'sew'.

💡 Mnemonic

Think of 'SEE them' joined together at the SEAM.

📖 Example

The seam on my old jeans finally ripped after years of wear. 🔊 After years of use, the stitching line on my old jeans eventually tore apart.

🔗 Collocations

burst at the seams – Be extremely full or crowded.

seam allowance – The extra fabric between the seam and the edge of the material.

invisible seam – A seam sewn in a way that makes it very hard to see.

🔄 Synonyms

junction (n.) – A point where two or more things are joined.

join (n.) – A place or line where two things are connected.

closure (n.) – A device or line that fastens something.

🚫 Antonyms

gap (n.) – A break or opening in something continuous.

opening (n.) – A space or hole that allows passage.

tear (n.) – A hole or split caused by something being pulled apart.

🌱 Derivatives

seamless (adj.) – Smooth and continuous, with no visible joins.

seamed (adj.) – Having seams.

seamer (n.) – A person or machine that sews seams.

📖 Cultural Story

The word 'seam' originates from the Old English term for the join made by sewing. Its meaning expanded metaphorically to geology in the 16th century, describing a thin layer of mineral sandwiched between rock, resembling fabric layers joined together.

Meaning 2：mineral layer (seam)

seam 🔊

/siːm/

A thin layer of a valuable mineral, like coal or gold, that lies between layers of rock underground.

Seam diagram: coal seam layer between rock strata cross-section

mineral layer 🔊

➕

/ˈmɪnərəl ˈleɪər/

A thin, distinct layer of a mineral substance, such as coal or gold, found between layers of rock.

📁 Category：Natural Geography 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

The miners discovered a rich seam of coal deep within the mountain. 🔊 The workers found a valuable layer of coal far inside the mountain.

🔗 Collocations

coal seam – A layer of coal embedded between layers of rock.

rich seam – A layer of mineral that is highly concentrated and valuable.

seam of ore – A layer of rock containing valuable metal.

🔄 Synonyms

layer (n.) – A sheet, quantity, or thickness of material covering a surface.

vein (n.) – A narrow layer of a mineral filling a crack in rock.

stratum (n.) – A layer or series of layers of rock.

🚫 Antonyms

barren rock (n.) – Rock that contains no valuable minerals.

void (n.) – A completely empty space.

🌱 Derivatives

seamy (adj.) – Sordid or disreputable (figurative use, originally referring to the rough side of a seam).