chum

1
[ chuhm ]
See synonyms for: chumchummedchumming on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. a close or intimate companion: boyhood chums.

  2. Older Use. a roommate, as at college.

verb (used without object),chummed, chum·ming.
  1. to associate closely.

  2. Older Use. to share a room or rooms with another, especially in a dormitory at a college or prep school.

Origin of chum

1
First recorded in 1675–85; of uncertain origin

Other definitions for chum (2 of 3)

chum2
[ chuhm ]

noun
  1. cut or ground bait dumped into the water to attract fish to the area where one is fishing.

  2. fish refuse or scraps discarded by a cannery.

verb (used without object),chummed, chum·ming.
  1. to fish by attracting fish by dumping cut or ground bait into the water.

verb (used with object),chummed, chum·ming.
  1. to dump chum into (a body of water) so as to attract fish.

  2. to lure (fish) with chum: They chummed the fish with hamburger.

Origin of chum

2
An Americanism dating back to 1855–60; of uncertain origin

Other definitions for chum (3 of 3)

chum3
[ chuhm ]

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use chum in a sentence

  • The chums did not have to go even as far as the brow of the hill overlooking the group of houses before mentioned.

  • Through the falling rain the chums were sure that 68 something was moving down by the woods.

  • The chums drove their craft up the lake and in half an hour sighted the Norwood place and its roses.

  • Darry and Burd were planning another trip on the Marigold, and so had little time to give to the girl chums of Roselawn.

  • The chums liked Mark Stratford and they did not believe that he was anywhere near as “sporty” as Burd had intimated.

British Dictionary definitions for chum (1 of 3)

chum1

/ (tʃʌm) /


noun
  1. informal a close friend

verbchums, chumming or chummed
  1. (intr usually foll by up with) to be or become an intimate friend (of)

  2. (tr) Scot to accompany: I'll chum you home

Origin of chum

1
C17 (meaning: a person sharing rooms with another): probably shortened from chamber fellow, originally student slang (Oxford); compare crony

British Dictionary definitions for chum (2 of 3)

chum2

/ (tʃʌm) /


noun
  1. angling, mainly US and Canadian chopped fish, meal, etc, used as groundbait

Origin of chum

2
C19: origin uncertain

British Dictionary definitions for chum (3 of 3)

chum3

/ (tʃʊm) /


noun
  1. a Pacific salmon, Oncorhynchus keta

Origin of chum

3
from Chinook Jargon tsum spots, marks, from Chinook

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012