To appear as a shadowy or threatening form, or to seem imminent and threatening. As a noun, refers to a frame for weaving fabric.
From Middle English 'lome' (tool), related to Old English 'geloma' (utensil). The verb meaning 'to appear threateningly' developed from the image of something large coming into view, like a ship on the horizon.
The phrase 'looming deadline' perfectly captures how time seems to take physical form as it approaches - deadlines don't just arrive, they tower over us menacingly. The weaving device shares the name because it was seen as a fundamental tool that shaped daily life.
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