From Middle English fomenten, a borrowing from Old French fomenter, from Late Latin fōmentāre, from Latin fōmentum (“lotion”), from fovēre (“heat, cherish”).
Meanings
Fomentation.
He came in no conciliatory mood, and the foment was kept up. 1892, Julian Ralph, On Canada's Frontier:
From Middle English fomenten, a borrowing from Old French fomenter, from Late Latin fōmentāre, from Latin fōmentum (“lotion”), from fovēre (“heat, cherish”).
Meanings
(transitive) To incite or cause troublesome acts; to encourage; to instigate.
Boris Johnson and senior Conservative ministers have vigorously condemned the violence in Washington, but have largely steered clear of condemning Trump for fomenting it. 2021 January 7, Peter Walker, “Tories urged to suspend politicians who likened US violence to anti-Brexit protests”, in The Guardian:
As figures like Warsi took to the TV and podcast studios the politicians who are normally most vocal when there are divisions to be fomented and culture wars to be fought went awol. 2024 August 10, David Olusoga, “There can be no excuses. The UK riots were violent racism fomented by populism”, in The Guardian:
He was arrested for fomenting a riot; after all, it's bad enough being in a riot but starting one is much worse.
Blogjects always have some form of agency — they can foment action and participate; they have an assertive voice within the social web. 2006 March 14, Roland Piquepaille, “The new world of 'blogjects'”, in ZDNET, archived from the original on 26 Sep 2023:
Foreign governments have tried to foment unrest.
“Indignation foments extreme behaviour,” the director says of a film he believes will leave audiences wondering: “How far will people go as a result of their anger?” 2023 September 11, Tom Phillips, “‘A Brazilian 9/11’: film tells little-known story of failed 1988 hijacking”, in The Guardian:
The factor which had caused the militant five per cent to relax awhile from fomenting discord was the satellites. Sustained research in rocketry had at last succeeded in attaining one of its objectives. It had sent up a missile which stayed up. 1951, John Wyndham, The Day of the Triffids, Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, published 1954, page 28:
(transitive) To apply a poultice to; to bathe with a cloth or sponge.
Sties in the eye are irritating and disfiguring. Foment with warm water; at night apply a bread-and-milk poultice. 1876, Eliza Bisbee Duffey, Our Behaviour: A Manual of Etiquette and Dress of the Best American Society, Philadelphia:
The maid had entered with us, and began once more to foment the bruise upon her mistress's brow. 1904, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventure of the Abbey Grange, Norton, published 2005, page 1178:
he עודד (to incite or cause) · cmn 敷藥 /敷药 ((medicine) to apply a poultice to) · ru провоци́ровать (to incite or cause) · de fördern (to incite or cause) · hu szít (to incite or cause) · fr fomenter (to incite or cause) · la fōmentō ((medicine) to apply a poultice to) · it fomentare (to incite or cause) · fi lietsoa (to incite or cause) · sv badda ((medicine) to apply a poultice to) · ru класть примо́чки и́ли припа́рки ((medicine) to apply a poultice to) · uk розпали́ти (to incite or cause) · es fomentar (to incite or cause) · io fomentar ((medicine) to apply a poultice to) · ru разжига́ть (to incite or cause) · pt fomentar (to incite or cause) · pl wzniecić (to incite or cause) · cmn 煽動 /煽动 (to incite or cause) · is leggja bakstur við ((medicine) to apply a poultice to) · yue 煽動 /煽动 (to incite or cause) · ja 醸成する (to incite or cause) · fi hautoa ((medicine) to apply a poultice to) · hu borogat ((medicine) to apply a poultice to) · he חרחר (to incite or cause) · sv instigera (to incite or cause) · pl podżegać (to incite or cause) · pl wzniecać (to incite or cause) · io stuvagar ((medicine) to apply a poultice to) · sv befordra (to incite or cause) · sv underblåsa (to incite or cause) · no fyre opp under (to incite or cause) · ru побужда́ть (to incite or cause) · ru подстрека́ть (to incite or cause) · pl podżegnąć (to incite or cause) · uk розпа́лювати (to incite or cause) · sv nära (to incite or cause) · es fomentar ((medicine) to apply a poultice to) · ja 胎動する (to incite or cause) · pl przyłożyć ciepłe okłady ((medicine) to apply a poultice to) · pl przykładać ciepłe okłady ((medicine) to apply a poultice to)