calm / kä(l)m/ • adj. 1. (of a person, action, or manner) not showing or feeling nervousness, anger, or other emotions: keep calm, she told herself his voice was calm. ∎  (of a place) peaceful, esp. in contrast to recent violent activity: the city was reported to be calm, but army patrols remained.2. (of the weather) pleasantly free from wind: the night was clear and calm. ∎  (of the sea) not disturbed by large waves.• n. 1. the absence of violent or confrontational activity within a place or group: the elections proceeded in an atmosphere of relative calm| [in sing.] an edgy calm reigned in the capital. ∎  the absence of nervousness, agitation, or excitement in a person: his usual calm deserted him.2. the absence of wind: in the center of the storm calm prevailed. ∎  still air represented by force 0 on the Beaufort scale (less than 1 knot). ∎  (often calms) an area of the sea without wind.• v. [tr.] make (someone) tranquil and quiet; soothe: I took him inside and tried to calm him down he lit a cigarette to calm his nerves | [as adj.] (calming) a cup of tea will have a calming effect. ∎  [intr.] (calm down) (of a person) become tranquil and quiet: gradually I calmed down and lost my anxiety.PHRASES: the calm before the stormsee storm.DERIVATIVES: calm·ly adv.calm·ness n.

calm XIV.The sb., adj., and vb. appear about the same time, and earlier than the corresp. F. words (XV), which are presumed to be — It. calma, calmo, calmare; these are referred to popL. *calma, alt. of late L. cauma — Gr. kaûma heat (of the day or sun), by assoc. with L. calēre be hot.

calm A condition of general lack of wind, indicated by a wind speed of less than 1 knot (0.5 m/s). See also Beaufort scale.

calm Condition of general lack of wind, indicated by a wind speed of less than 1 knot (0.5 m/s). See also BEAUFORT SCALE.