hames

/ (heɪmz) /

noun

make a hames of Irish informal to spoil through clumsiness or ineptitude

QUIZZES

DISCOVER THE INFLUENCE OF PORTUGUESE ON ENGLISH VIA THIS QUIZ!

We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?

Question 1 of 11

Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?

owl

crow

piranha

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Word Origin for hames

of unknown origin

Words nearby hames

Hamden, hame, Hameln, Hamer, Hamersley Range, hames, hame tug, hametz, ham-fisted, ham-handed, Hamhung

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

Example sentences from the Web for hames

Both Hames and Church took to Twitter to remonstrate with the media mogul, demanding an apology.
Rupert Murdoch’s Future Rests on News Corp. Shareholders Meeting|Peter Jukes|October 15, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Unless your hames fit your collar well, you are sure to have trouble with your harness, and your mule will work badly.
The Mule|Harvey Riley
See that your hames fit well, for they are a matter of great importance in a mule's drawing.
The Mule|Harvey Riley
James McNiece turned from the examination of a cart as he spoke and gave his attention to the hames.
Our Casualty And Other Stories|James Owen Hannay, AKA George A. Birmingham

Bell-teams were common; an iron or brass arch was fastened upon the hames, and collar and bells were suspended from it.
Stage-coach and Tavern Days|Alice Morse Earle
The adaptation of hames to collars is almost as important as the fitting of the collars to the animals.
Shifts and Expedients of Camp Life, Travel & Exploration|W. B. Lord

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