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

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

Besides what actor worth his hambone wouldn’t want to have a chance to become a comic-book Hitler?

From New York Times • Nov. 15, 2018

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

Related Words

• artist
• character
• clown
• comedian
• entertainer
• performer
• player
• star
• villain