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hambone

American  
[ham-bohn] / ˈhæmˌboʊn /

noun

  1. Theater.

    1. (especially in minstrel shows and vaudeville) a performer made up in blackface and using a stereotyped Black dialect.

    2. an unskilled, overeager, or artless actor, or any performer who overacts.

  2. juba.

  3. Bowling Slang. four consecutive strikes.

  4. Usually ham bone a bone in a hog's ham.

    We always use the leftover ham bone to make pea soup.


Etymology

Origin of hambone

First recorded in 1850–55; ham 1 + bone; ham 2

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.

See Examples For:

That's me in the photograph in the foreground, sitting on a chair doing hambone with Ed in the background singing lead.

From Salon Nov. 21, 2020

Now it defies all of Mr. Spacey’s serious gifts and hambone tricks to bring it to engaging life.

From New York Times Jun. 16, 2017

For Norvell, it is also important to recognize that African-Americans in the northeast forged traditions of their own, though not as well known as Southern traditions such as banjo playing and juba, a dance style also called hambone.

From Reuters May 29, 2015

And that they’re willing to put up with our hambone antics as we try to fill them in.

From Slate May 29, 2014

Their bodies, from throat to ankle, were hidden by black cloaks which bore a long silver cross on the left breast and each neck was finished off with a hambone frill.

From "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding

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