Ham
Pronunciation
- enPR: hăm, IPA: /hæm/
- Rhymes: -æm
Origin 1
From Middle English hamme, from Old English hamm ("inner or hind part of the knee, ham"), from Proto-Germanic *hamÅ, *hammÅ, *hanmÅ, from Proto-Indo-European *kanam-, *knÄmÄ ("thigh, shin"). Cognate with Dutch ham ("ham"), dialectal German Hamme ("hind part of the knee, ham"), dialectal Swedish ham ("the hind part of the knee"), Icelandic höm ("the ham or haunch of a horse"), Middle Irish cnáim ("bone"), Ancient Greek κνήμη (knḗmé, "shinbone"). Compare gammon.
Full definition of ham
Noun
ham
(plural hams)- (anatomy) The region back of the knee joint; the popliteal space; the hock.
- (countable) A thigh and buttock of an animal slaughtered for meat.
- (uncountable) Meat from the thigh of a hog cured for food.a little piece of ham for the cat
- unknown date, Audra Lilly Griffeth, A King's Daughter (ISBN 146915532X):She put some ham in the beans and cut up some sweet potatoes to boil.
- The back of the thigh.
- (internet, informal) Electronic mail that is wanted; mail that is not spam or junk mail.
Derived terms
Origin 2
From Old English hÄm.
Noun
ham
(uncountable)- Obsolete spelling of home
Usage notes
Persists in many old place names, such as Buckingham.
Origin 3
Shortened from hamfatter ("inferior actor"), said to derive from the 1863 minstrel show song The Ham-fat Man.
"ham", Online Etymology Dictionary
Noun
ham
(plural hams)- An overacting or amateurish performer; an actor with an especially showy or exaggerated style.
- An amateur radio operator.
Related terms
Synonyms
- radio amateur (amateur radio operator)
Verb
- To overact; to act with exaggerated emotions.