- When you incite a riot by getting everyone made at the government, this is an example of when you foment.
- When you soak your hands in warm water and put lotion on them, this is an example of foment.
Foment is defined as to cause trouble, or to treat the skin with warm water or lotions.
- to treat with warm water, medicated lotions, etc.
- to stir up (trouble); instigate; incite: to foment a riot
Origin of fomentMiddle English fomenten ; from Old French fomenter ; from Late Latin fomentare ; from Classical Latin fomentum, poultice ; from fovere, to keep warm ; from Indo-European an unverified form dhogwh- ; from base an unverified form dhegwh-, to burn from source Sanskrit dáhati, (it) burns, Middle Irish daig, fire
transitive verbfo·ment·ed, fo·ment·ing, fo·ments
- To arouse or incite (trouble, for example).
- To treat (the skin, for example) by fomentation.
Origin of fomentMiddle English fomenten, to apply warm liquids to the skin, from Old French fomenter, from Late Latin f&omacron;mentare, from Latin f&omacron;mentum, poultice, from fov&emacron;re, to warm; see dhegwh- in Indo-European roots.
(third-person singular simple present foments, present participle fomenting, simple past and past participle fomented)