hamlet

¹

[ ham-lit ]

noun

1. a small village.
2. British. a village without a church of its own, belonging to the parish of another village or town.

hamlet

²

[ ham-lit ]

noun

, plural (especially collectively) ham·let, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) ham·lets.

1. any of various sea basses of the family Serranidae, found in the warm waters of the western Atlantic Ocean, especially the Nassau grouper.

Hamlet

³

[ ham-lit ]

noun

1. (italics) a tragedy (first printed 1603) by Shakespeare.
2. the hero of this play, a young prince who avenges the murder of his father.

hamlet

/ ˈhæmlɪt /

noun

1. a small village or group of houses
2. (in Britain) a village without its own church

Hamlet

1. A tragedy by William Shakespeare . The king of Denmark has been murdered by his brother, Claudius, who then becomes king and marries the dead king's widow. The ghost of the dead king visits his son, Prince Hamlet, and urges him to avenge the murder. In the course of the play, Hamlet, a scholar, slowly convinces himself that he must murder Claudius. The play ends with a duel between Hamlet and the courtier Laertes, and the death by poison of all the principal characters .

Notes

The character Hamlet has come to symbolize a person whose thoughtful nature is an obstacle to quick and decisive action.

Hamlet , Shakespeare's longest play, contains several soliloquies — speeches in which Hamlet, alone, speaks his thoughts. Many lines from the play are very familiar, such as “ Alas, poor Yorick! ”; “ Frailty, thy name is woman! ”; “ Get thee to a nunnery ”; “ The lady doth protest too much ”; “ There are more things in heaven and Earth, Horatio ”; “ Neither a borrower nor a lender be ”; “ There's a special providence in the fall of a sparrow ”; “ Something is rotten in the state of Denmark ”; and “ To be, or not to be : that is the question.”

Word History and Origins

Origin of hamlet¹

1300–50; Middle English hamelet < Middle French, equivalent to hamel (diminutive of ham < Germanic; home ) + -et -et

Origin of hamlet²

First recorded in 1950–55; origin obscure

Word History and Origins

Origin of hamlet¹

C14: from Old French hamelet, diminutive of hamel, from ham, of Germanic origin; compare Old English hamm plot of pasture, Low German hamm enclosed land; see home

Synonym Study

See community.

Example Sentences

The statues did not spring up organically in towns and hamlets across the South after the Confederacy’s capitulation in the Civil War.

From Washington Post

Seeking confirmation of the crime, Hamlet engages in a game of cat-and-mouse with his uncle, in which both Hamlet’s presumed future bride Ophelia and her brother Laertes become unwitting pawns.

From Washington Blade

As a child of immigrants, I was proud to witness these moments, and Hamlet’s service to the industry continues to set an example for all of us, but especially people of color such as myself.

From Search Engine Land

Those who would like to help support Hamlet’s family during this difficult time can do so via the GoFundMe campaign organized by his close friend and fellow community member Lily Ray.

From Search Engine Land

The letter invited affected parties to a meeting in the hamlet of Myrtle Creek, 12 miles from Gow’s ranch.

From ProPublica

We stop, finally, in Kandigal, a tiny hamlet that straddles the river at the mouth of the Korengal Valley.

From The Daily Beast

The same thing happens when her mute daughter, the sweet Kattrin, is shot as she tries to warn a hamlet of impending slaughter.

From The Daily Beast

Hell, James left the entire league in a holding pattern whilst he pondered his future, Hamlet-like.

From The Daily Beast

Hamlet refused to accept that heroism was his destiny, because of the behavior it required.

From The Daily Beast

This 1964 performance was a stage production of Hamlet, but filmed in front of a live audience.

From The Daily Beast

An Irish clergyman insisted that it was the little hamlet of Auburn, in the county of Westmeath.

From Project Gutenberg

At least I think so now; and, as Hamlet says, “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”

From Project Gutenberg

Gone, too, is the hamlet of Garratt, whose mock elections of a Mayor caused such convivial excitement a century ago.

From Project Gutenberg

The advancing sand gradually crept into the hamlet, and in the course of a decade dispossessed the people by burying their houses.

From Project Gutenberg

In time the summit of the church spire disappeared from view, and for many years thereafter all trace of the hamlet was lost.

From Project Gutenberg