foment

From Middle English fomenten, a borrowing from Old French fomenter,[1] from Late Latin fomentare, from Latin fōmentum (“lotion”), from fovere (“heat, cherish”).

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /fəʊˈmɛnt/
• (US) IPA^(key): /foʊˈmɛnt/, /fəˈmɛnt/

• Audio (US)

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• Rhymes: -ɛnt
• Homophone: ferment (in some dialects, unstressed)

foment (third-person singular simple present foments, present participle fomenting, simple past and past participle fomented)

1. (transitive) To incite or cause troublesome acts; to encourage; to instigate.

   He was arrested for fomenting a riot; after all, it's bad enough being in a riot but starting one is much worse.

   Foreign governments have tried to foment unrest.

   • January 7 2021, Peter Walker, “Tories urged to suspend politicians who likened US violence to anti-Brexit protests”, in The Guardian‎:

     Boris Johnson and senior Conservative ministers have vigorously condemned the violence in Washington, but have largely steered clear of condemning Trump for fomenting it.

2. (medicine, transitive) To apply a poultice to; to bathe with a cloth or sponge.

   Synonym: beath

   • 1904, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventure of the Abbey Grange, Norton, published 2005, page 1178:

     The maid had entered with us, and began once more to foment the bruise upon her mistress's brow.

• fomentation

foment (plural foments)

1. Fomentation.
   • 1892, Julian Ralph, On Canada's Frontier:

     He came in no conciliatory mood, and the foment was kept up.

Learned borrowing from Latin fōmentum.

• IPA^(key): (Central) [fuˈmen]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic, Valencian) [foˈment]

foment m (plural foments)

1. promotion, fostering, fomentation

• fomentar

• “foment” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.