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• gamy
  gamy

  adjective

  having the tangy flavor or odor of game.
• -gamy
  -gamy

  a combining form with the meanings “marriage,” “union,” “fertilization, pollination,” of the kind specified by the initial element: exogamy; plastogamy; allogamy; also forming nouns corresponding to adjectives ending in -gamous: heterogamy.

gamy

¹ American  

[gey-mee] / ˈgeɪ mi /

Or gamey

adjective

gamier, gamiest

1. having the tangy flavor or odor of game.

   I like the gamy taste of venison.

2. having the flavor or odor of game or other meat kept uncooked until slightly tainted.

   The roast was still edible but was slightly gamy.

3. plucky; spirited.

4. lewd or suggestive; risqué.

5. gross or squalid; unwholesome.

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-gamy ² American  

1. a combining form with the meanings “marriage,” “union,” “fertilization, pollination,” of the kind specified by the initial element: exogamy; plastogamy; allogamy; also forming nouns corresponding to adjectives ending in -gamous: heterogamy.

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-gamy British  

combining form

1. denoting marriage or sexual union

   bigamy

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Usage

What does -gamy mean? The combining form -gamy is used like a suffix with a variety of meanings. In terms from botany, it typically means "fertilization, pollination.“ In other contexts, -gamy is used to mean "marriage" or "union."The form -gamy is also used to form nouns related to terms ending in -gamous. It is often used in scientific terms, especially in biology. The form -gamy comes from Greek -gamía, meaning “act of marrying.”What are variants of -gamy?While -gamy doesn't have any variants, it is related to the form -gamous, as in cleistogamous. Additional combining forms of the same general origin include gamet-, gameto-, and gamo-. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use articles for the forms.

Other Word Forms

• ungamy
  adjective
• gamily
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of gamy¹

First recorded in 1835–45; game ¹ + -y ¹

Origin of -gamy²

Combining form representing Greek -gamía “act of marrying”

Example Sentences

Plus, the horror has a purpose, beyond gamy genre thrills.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 5, 2023

Instead, you get a harmonious porky bite with gamy undertones from the confit rabbit, beef tongue, duck wing meat and offal.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 27, 2023

Rather than tasting gamy or leathery, this is fresh and juicy, almost like a nouveau.

From New York Times • Mar. 10, 2022

The lean, gamy meat is popular with bodybuilders and the health-conscious.

From Washington Post • Apr. 15, 2021

The air is dense with the chattering of shoemakers and the gamy scents of leather and tannin and dye.

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir