chum
1[ chuhm ]
/ tʃʌm /
noun
a close or intimate companion: boyhood chums.
a roommate, as at college.
verb (used without object), chummed, chum·ming.
to associate closely.
to share a room or rooms with another, especially in a dormitory at a college or prep school.
QUIZZES
LEARN THE SPANISH WORDS FOR THESE COMMON ANIMALS!
Are you learning Spanish? Or do you just have an interest in foreign languages? Either way, this quiz on Spanish words for animals is for you.
Question 1 of 13
How do you say “cat” 🐈 in Spanish?
Origin of chum
1First recorded in 1675–85; of uncertain origin
Definition for chum (2 of 3)
chum2
[ chuhm ]
/ tʃʌm /
noun
cut or ground bait dumped into the water to attract fish to the area where one is fishing.
fish refuse or scraps discarded by a cannery.
verb (used without object), chummed, chum·ming.
to fish by attracting fish by dumping cut or ground bait into the water.
verb (used with object), chummed, chum·ming.
to dump chum into (a body of water) so as to attract fish.
to lure (fish) with chum: They chummed the fish with hamburger.
Origin of chum
2An Americanism dating back to 1855–60; of uncertain origin
Definition for chum (3 of 3)
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for chum
British Dictionary definitions for chum (1 of 3)
chum1
/ (tʃʌm) /
noun
informal a close friend
verb chums, chumming or chummed
(intr usually foll by up with) to be or become an intimate friend (of)
(tr) Scot to accompanyI'll chum you home
Word Origin for chum
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
angling, mainly US and Canadian chopped fish, meal, etc, used as groundbait
Word Origin for chum
C19: origin uncertain
British Dictionary definitions for chum (3 of 3)
chum3
/ (tʃʊm) /
noun
a Pacific salmon, Oncorhynchus keta
Word Origin for chum
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