gam
1 Americannoun
noun
-
a herd or school of whales.
-
Eastern New England, Nautical. a social meeting, visit, or the like, as between whaling vessels at sea.
verb (used without object)
-
(of whales) to assemble into a herd or school.
-
Nautical. (of the officers and crews of two whaling vessels) to visit or converse with one another for social purposes.
-
Eastern New England. to participate in a gam or social visit.
noun
-
a school of whales
-
nautical an informal visit between crew members of whalers
-
a flock of large sea birds
verb
-
(intr) (of whales) to form a school
-
nautical (of members of the crews of whalers) to visit (each other) informally
-
(tr) to visit or exchange visits with
noun
Etymology
Origin of gam1
1775–85; probably < Polari < Italian gamba leg; jamb 1
Origin of gam2
An Americanism dating back to 1840–50; perhaps dialectal variant of game 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Minnelli was the perfect talent for a vulnerable new age, projecting strength and fragility equally with those gams, eyelashes and belted feelings.
From Los Angeles Times
She pointed out the legs in another sketch and their resemblance to the powerful gams of a Michelangelo sculpture on a tomb upstairs.
From New York Times
France center back Raphael Varane said there will be no danger of complacency among his teammates in a gam against the world’s No. 22-ranked team.
From Washington Times
New Orleans has just two interceptions and five fumble recoveries in 11 gams and has an NFL-worst turnover differential of minus-12.
From Seattle Times
The fired Houston Texans head coach, previously Tom Brady’s quarterbacks coach in New England, was hired about 10 days after the national championship gam e to replace Steve Sarkisian, now the coach at Texas.
From Seattle Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
