hamlet

[ ham-lit ]

/ ˈhæm lɪt /

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See synonyms for hamlet on Thesaurus.com

noun

a small village.

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

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of hamlet

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

synonym study for hamlet

1. See community.

Words nearby hamlet

Hamishah Asar Bishevat, Hamite, Hamitic, Hamiticized, Hamito-Semitic, hamlet, Hamlin, Hamlisch, Hamlyn, Hamm, hammam

Other definitions for hamlet (2 of 3)

hamlet²

[ ham-lit ]

/ ˈhæm lɪt /

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

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

Origin of hamlet

First recorded in 1950–55; origin obscure

Other definitions for hamlet (3 of 3)

Hamlet

[ ham-lit ]

/ ˈhæm lɪt /

noun

(italics) a tragedy (first printed 1603) by Shakespeare.

the hero of this play, a young prince who avenges the murder of his father.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use hamlet in a sentence

The statues did not spring up organically in towns and hamlets across the South after the Confederacy’s capitulation in the Civil War.
The campaign to erect Confederate statues — and preserve Confederate values|Joe Heim|May 21, 2021|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.
‘Hamlet/Horatio’ queers the Bard|John Paul King|May 13, 2021|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.
SEO community mourns Hamlet Batista, advocate for automation in SEO and beloved friend|George Nguyen|January 28, 2021|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.
SEO community mourns Hamlet Batista, advocate for automation in SEO and beloved friend|George Nguyen|January 28, 2021|Search Engine Land

The letter invited affected parties to a meeting in the hamlet of Myrtle Creek, 12 miles from Gow’s ranch.
It’s His Land. Now a Canadian Company Gets to Take It.|by Lee van der Voo for ProPublica|October 1, 2020|ProPublica
We stop, finally, in Kandigal, a tiny hamlet that straddles the river at the mouth of the Korengal Valley.
Heart of Darkness: Into Afghanistan’s Taliban Valley|Matt Trevithick, Daniel Seckman|November 15, 2014|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.
Brecht's Mercenary Mother Courage Turns 75|Katie Baker|September 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Hell, James left the entire league in a holding pattern whilst he pondered his future, Hamlet-like.
LeBron James Returns to Cleveland: How 'The Decision 2.0' Happened|Robert Silverman|July 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Hamlet refused to accept that heroism was his destiny, because of the behavior it required.
Alleged Santa Barbara Killer Elliot Rodger and the Twisted Cult of Modern Masculinity|James Poulos|May 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This 1964 performance was a stage production of Hamlet, but filmed in front of a live audience.
Shakespeare’s Movie Magic|Marina Watts, Malcolm Jones|April 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
An Irish clergyman insisted that it was the little hamlet of Auburn, in the county of Westmeath.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun;|Various
At least I think so now; and, as Hamlet says, “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland|Joseph Tatlow
Gone, too, is the hamlet of Garratt, whose mock elections of a Mayor caused such convivial excitement a century ago.
The Portsmouth Road and Its Tributaries|Charles G. Harper
The advancing sand gradually crept into the hamlet, and in the course of a decade dispossessed the people by burying their houses.
Outlines of the Earth's History|Nathaniel Southgate Shaler
In time the summit of the church spire disappeared from view, and for many years thereafter all trace of the hamlet was lost.
Outlines of the Earth's History|Nathaniel Southgate Shaler

British Dictionary definitions for hamlet

hamlet

/ (ˈhæmlɪt) /

noun

a small village or group of houses

(in Britain) a village without its own church

Word Origin for hamlet

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

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

Cultural definitions for hamlet

Hamlet

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 for Hamlet

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

notes for Hamlet

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.”

hamlet

Origin of hamlet

synonym study for hamlet

Words nearby hamlet

Other definitions for hamlet (2 of 3)

Origin of hamlet

Other definitions for hamlet (3 of 3)

Words related to hamlet

How to use hamlet in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for hamlet

Word Origin for hamlet

Cultural definitions for hamlet

notes for Hamlet

notes for Hamlet