What is a loom?

A loom is either a piece of equipment for weaving thread or yarn into fabric or, less commonly, the unclear sight of something far off in the dark or in the distance. The first definition arises from the Old English word "geloma" for any type of tool.

The word "geloma" evolved into "lome" in Middle English and, finally, "loom" in modern English. English speakers began to use the word to describe cloth-weaving devices in particular, rather than all tools, in the 1400s. The first looms were hand tools and generally wooden. Looms that run on steam power or water power first appeared in the 1800s.