ham1
- a cut of meat from the heavy-muscled part of a hog's rear quarter, between hip and hock, usually cured.
- that part of a hog's hind leg.
- the part of the leg back of the knee.
- Often hams. the back of the thigh, or the thigh and the buttock together.
Origin of ham1
ham2
- an actor or performer who overacts.
- an operator of an amateur radio station.
- to act with exaggerated expression of emotion; overact.
- ham it up, to overact; ham.
Origin of ham2
Ham
- the second son of Noah, Gen. 10:1.
Examples from the Web for ham
Contemporary Examples
Since when was the traditional version thrown out for one made of ham?
But merit aside, you can indict a ham sandwich if it's Republican in the most liberal hotbed of Texas: Travis County.
The problem for Perry is that a Travis County jury can also find a Republican ham sandwich guilty.
The Cuban sandwich is made with pulled pork shoulder and ham (both from farm hogs, of course), as well as house-made pickles.
A grilled cheese sandwich, made with four different cheeses, comes with McLane ham (and is grilled in truffle butter).
Historical Examples
Did you notice you could read every letter in the label on that ham?
The SpendersHarry Leon Wilson
I take it fried, about an inch thick, with plenty of ham fat.
Let me get some of this ham into my face, and then I'll talk.
Way of the LawlessMax Brand
Fig. 23 shows a ham from which the rind has not been removed.
Woman's Institute Library of Cookery, Vol. 3Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences
They make 'em out o' brick-clay and ham fat up in them mountains.
The UnderdogF. Hopkinson Smith
ham1
- the part of the hindquarters of a pig or similar animal between the hock and the hip
- the meat of this part, esp when salted or smoked
- informal
- the back of the leg above the knee
- the space or area behind the knee
- needlework a cushion used for moulding curves
Word Origin
ham2
- theatre informal
- an actor who overacts or relies on stock gestures or mannerisms
- overacting or clumsy acting
- (as modifier)a ham actor
- informal
- a licensed amateur radio operator
- (as modifier)a ham licence
- informal to overact
Word Origin
Word Origin and History for ham
n.1
"meat of a hog's hind leg used for food," 1630s, from Old English hamm "hollow or bend of the knee," from Proto-Germanic *hamma- (cf. Old Norse höm, Middle Low German, Middle Dutch hamme, Old High German hamma), from PIE *konemo- "shin bone" (cf. Greek kneme "calf of the leg," Old Irish cnaim "bone"). Ham-fisted (1928) was originally in reference to pilots who were heavy on the controls, as was ham-handed (by 1918). With hammen ifalden "with folded hams" was a Middle English way of saying "kneeling."
n.2
"overacting inferior performer," 1882, American English, apparently a shortening of hamfatter (1880) "actor of low grade," said since at least 1889 to be from an old minstrel show song, "The Ham-fat Man" (1863). The song, a black-face number, has nothing to do with acting, so the connection must be with the quality of acting in minstrel shows, where the song was popular. Ham also had a sports slang sense of "incompetent pugilist" circa 1888, perhaps from ham-fisted. The notion of "amateurish" led to the sense of "amateur radio operator" (1919). The verb in the performance sense is first recorded 1933. As an adjective in this sense by 1935.
Ham
One of the three sons of Noah. According to the biblical account, Noah and his family were the only human survivors of the great Flood and were therefore the progenitors of all the peoples on Earth.