gam

[ gam ]

/ gæm /

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See synonyms for: gam / gammed / gamming on Thesaurus.com

noun Slang.

a person's leg, especially an attractive female leg.

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Origin of gam

1775–85; probably <Polari <Italian gamba leg; see jamb¹

Other definitions for gam (2 of 2)

gam²

[ gam ]

/ gæm /

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), gammed, gam·ming.

(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.

Origin of gam

An Americanism dating back to 1840–50; perhaps dialectal variant of game¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use gam in a sentence

Esther Choi of Mokbar said she has made Korean potato pancakes called gam ja jun, and Charles Rodriguez of PRINT.
I Ate Potato Pancakes Til I Plotzed|Emily Shire|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Agamogenesis, a-gam-o-jen′e-sis, n. reproduction without sex, found among lower animals and in plants.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D)|Various
Jee Gam, whom many of our readers will remember in connection with his visit East four years ago, is the Secretary.
The American Missionary -- Volume 39, No. 08, August, 1885|Various
Bore flaute pertinacis, fœdamque tempestatem, quam excicre gam ceperat, glomerante.
History of the Discovery of the Northwest by John Nicolet in 1634|Consul Willshire Butterfield

Jee Gam explained to him that he could do that as a Christian, without worshiping his father.
The American Missionary, Vol. 43, No. 8, August, 1889|Various
Rev. Jee Gam, with his large family, has several rooms as a sort of parsonage.
The American Missionary - Volume 52, No. 2, June, 1898|Various

British Dictionary definitions for gam (1 of 2)

gam¹

/ (ɡæm) /

noun

a school of whales

nautical an informal visit between crew members of whalers

NZ a flock of large sea birds

verb gams, gamming or gammed

(intr) (of whales) to form a school

nautical (of members of the crews of whalers) to visit (each other) informally

(tr) US to visit or exchange visits with

Word Origin for gam

C19: perhaps dialect variant of game 1

British Dictionary definitions for gam (2 of 2)

gam²

/ (ɡæm) /

noun

slang a leg, esp a woman's shapely leg

Word Origin for gam

C18: probably from Old Northern French gambe or Lingua Franca gambe; see jamb

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

Medical definitions for gam

gam-

pref.

Variant ofgamo-

gam

Origin of gam

Other definitions for gam (2 of 2)

Origin of gam

Words related to gam

How to use gam in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for gam (1 of 2)

Word Origin for gam

British Dictionary definitions for gam (2 of 2)

Word Origin for gam

Medical definitions for gam