*ham*

a. Pertaining to Abraham, the patriarch; as, the Abrachamic covenant. [ 1913 Webster ]

it>or n. [ Possibly in allusion to the parable of the beggar Lazarus in Luke xvi. Murray (New Eng. Dict. ). ] One of a set of vagabonds who formerly roamed through England, feigning lunacy for the sake of obtaining alms. Nares. [ 1913 Webster ]

To sham Abraham, to feign sickness. Goldsmith. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ From L. adhamare to catch; ad + hamus hook. ] Clinging, as by hooks. [ 1913 Webster ]

1. A chamber or cavity filled with air, in an animal or plant. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A cavity containing air to act as a spring for equalizing the flow of a liquid in a pump or other hydraulic machine. [ 1913 Webster ]

. a hammer powered by compressed air so as to be able to provide powerful repeated strokes; a pneumatic hammer. [ PJC ]

n. [ Ultimately fr. Ar. al the + hamrā red; i. e., the red (sc. house). ] The palace of the Moorish kings at Granada. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. Made or decorated after the fanciful style of the ornamentation in the Alhambra, which affords an unusually fine exhibition of Saracenic or Arabesque architecture. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. antichambre. ] 1. A chamber or apartment before the chief apartment and leading into it, in which persons wait for audience; an outer chamber. See Lobby. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A space viewed as the outer chamber or the entrance to an interior part. [ 1913 Webster ]

The mouth, the antechamber to the digestive canal. Todd & Bowman. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Obs. ] See Antechamber. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. G. erzkämmerer. See Arch-, pref. ] A chief chamberlain; -- an officer of the old German empire, whose office was similar to that of the great chamberlain in England. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ From Roger Ascham, who was a great lover of archery. ] A sort of cupboard, or case, to contain bows and other implements of archery. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ Pref. a- + shame: cf. AS. āscamian to shame (where ā- is the same as Goth. us-, G. er-, and orig. meant out), gescamian, gesceamian, to shame. ] To shame. [ R. ] Barrow. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Orig. a p. p. of ashame, v. t. ] Affected by shame; abashed or confused by guilt, or a conviction or consciousness of some wrong action or impropriety. “I am ashamed to beg.” Wyclif. [ 1913 Webster ]

All that forsake thee shall be ashamed. Jer. xvii. 13. [ 1913 Webster ]

I began to be ashamed of sitting idle. Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

Enough to make us ashamed of our species. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

An ashamed person can hardly endure to meet the gaze of those present. Darwin. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Ashamed seldom precedes the noun or pronoun it qualifies. By a Hebraism, it is sometimes used in the Bible to mean disappointed, or defeated. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. Bashfully. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Adamant. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Written in the table of athamaunt. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ F. béchamel, named from its inventor, Louis de Béchamel. ] (Cookery) A rich, white sauce, prepared with butter and cream. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A chamber for a bed; an apartment form sleeping in. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Lords of the bedchamber, eight officers of the royal household, all of noble families, who wait in turn a week each. [ Eng. ] --
Ladies of the bedchamber, eight ladies, all titled, holding a similar official position in the royal household, during the reign of a queen. [ Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to Bentham or Benthamism. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. That phase of the doctrine of utilitarianism taught by Jeremy Bentham; the doctrine that the morality of actions is estimated and determined by their utility; also, the theory that the sensibility to pleasure and the recoil from pain are the only motives which influence human desires and actions, and that these are the sufficient explanation of ethical and jural conceptions. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who believes in Benthamism. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. a city in Alabama. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. a city in England. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

A sweet and juicy variety of European grape, of a dark purplish black color, much grown under glass in northern latitudes. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. The nuptial apartment. Matt. ix. 15. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A light, enclosed carriage, with seats inside for two or four, and the fore wheels so arranged as to turn short. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A hammer with a head formed of a bundle of square bars, with pyramidal points, arranged in rows, or a solid head with a face cut into a number of rows of such points; -- used for dressing stone. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To dress with bushhammer; as, to bushhammer a block of granite. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Chem.) A red coloring matter obtained from the safflower, or Carthamus tinctorius. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ See Chap. ] To chew. [ Obs. or Prov. Eng. ] Sir T. More. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Khan. ] The sovereign prince of Tartary; -- now usually written khan. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. chamade, fr. Pg. chamada, fr. chamar to call, fr. L. clamare. ] (Mil.) A signal made for a parley by beat of a drum. [ 1913 Webster ]

They beat the chamade, and sent us carte blanche. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a genus of small late-flowering trees or subshrubs having yellow to red flowers and leathery or woody pods; -- often used especially for those formerly included in genus Cytisus.
Syn. -- genus Chamaecytisus. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. a genus consisting of only one species, the leatherleaf.
Syn. -- genus Chamaedaphne. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. the type genus of the Chamaeleontidae.
Syn. -- genus Chamaeleo, genus Chamaeleon. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. (Astronomy) a small constellation in the southern skies between Hydrus and Musca.
Syn. -- Chameleon. [ PJC ]

n. [ L. Chamaeleon, Gr. chamaile`wn, lit., “ground lion;” chamai` on the ground + le`wn lion. ] (Zool.) a lizard of Africa and Madagascar able to change skin color and having a projectile tongue.
Syn. -- chameleon. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. a natural family comprising the Old World chameleons; in some classifications Rhiptoglossa is considered a superfamily of Sauria.
Syn. -- family Chamaeleontidae, family Chamaeleonidae, Rhiptoglossa, family Rhiptoglossa. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. a small genus of plants sometimes included in genus Anthemis; chamomile.
Syn. -- genus Chamaemelum. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ Gr. chamai` on the ground + -phyte. ] a perennial plant that sets its dormant vegetative buds just at or above the surface of the ground. [ PJC ]

‖n. [ Native name. ] (Zool.) The Angora goat. See Angora goat, under Angora. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. chambre, fr. L. camera vault, arched roof, in LL. chamber, fr. Gr. &unr_; anything with a vaulted roof or arched covering; cf. Skr. kmar to be crooked. Cf. Camber, Camera, Comrade. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. A retired room, esp. an upper room used for sleeping; a bedroom; as, the house had four chambers. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. pl. Apartments in a lodging house. “A bachelor's life in chambers.” Thackeray. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A hall, as where a king gives audience, or a deliberative body or assembly meets; as, presence chamber; senate chamber. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A legislative or judicial body; an assembly; a society or association; as, the Chamber of Deputies; the Chamber of Commerce. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A compartment or cell; an inclosed space or cavity; as, the chamber of a canal lock; the chamber of a furnace; the chamber of the eye. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. pl. (Law.) A room or rooms where a lawyer transacts business; a room or rooms where a judge transacts such official business as may be done out of court. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. A chamber pot. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

8. (Mil.) (a) That part of the bore of a piece of ordnance which holds the charge, esp. when of different diameter from the rest of the bore; -- formerly, in guns, made smaller than the bore, but now larger, esp. in breech-loading guns. (b) A cavity in a mine, usually of a cubical form, to contain the powder. (c) A short piece of ordnance or cannon, which stood on its breech, without any carriage, formerly used chiefly for rejoicings and theatrical cannonades. [ 1913 Webster ]

Air chamber. See Air chamber, in the Vocabulary. --
Chamber of commerce, a board or association to protect the interests of commerce, chosen from among the merchants and traders of a city. --
Chamber council, a secret council. Shak. --
Chamber counsel or
Chamber counselor, a counselor who gives his opinion in private, or at his chambers, but does not advocate causes in court. --
Chamber fellow, a chamber companion; a roommate; a chum. --
Chamber hangings, tapestry or hangings for a chamber. --
Chamber lye, urine. Shak. --
Chamber music, vocal or instrumental music adapted to performance in a chamber or small apartment or audience room, instead of a theater, concert hall, or church. --
Chamber practice (Law.), the practice of counselors at law, who give their opinions in private, but do not appear in court. --
To sit at chambers, to do business in chambers, as a judge. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Chambered p. pr. & vb. n. Chambering. ] 1. To reside in or occupy a chamber or chambers. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To be lascivious. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. 1. To shut up, as in a chamber. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To furnish with a chamber; as, to chamber a gun. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having a chamber or chambers; as, a chambered shell; a chambered gun. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who attends in a chamber; a chambermaid. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A civilian; a carpetmonger. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Lewdness. [ Obs. ] Rom. xiii. 13. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. chamberlain, chambrelencF. chambellon, OHG. chamerling, chamarlinc, G. kämmerling, kammer chamber (fr. L. camera) + -ling. See Chamber, and -ling. ] [ Formerly written chamberlin. ] 1. An officer or servant who has charge of a chamber or chambers. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An upper servant of an inn. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

3. An officer having the direction and management of the private chambers of a nobleman or monarch; hence, in Europe, one of the high officers of a court. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A treasurer or receiver of public money; as, the chamberlain of London, of North Wales, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

The lord chamberlain of England, an officer of the crown, who waits upon the sovereign on the day of coronation, and provides requisites for the palace of Westminster, and for the House of Lords during the session of Parliament. Under him are the gentleman of the black rod and other officers. His office is distinct from that of the lord chamberlain of the Household, whose functions relate to the royal housekeeping. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Office of a chamberlain. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A maidservant who has the care of chambers, making the beds, sweeping, cleaning the rooms, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A lady's maid. [ Obs. ] Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. A red wine from Chambertin near Dijon, in Burgundy. [ 1913 Webster ]