ham
1[ ham ]
/ hæm /
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noun
a cut of meat from the heavy-muscled part of a hog's rear quarter, between hip and hock, usually cured.
that part of a hog's hind leg.
the part of the leg back of the knee.
Often hams. the back of the thigh, or the thigh and the buttock together.
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Origin of ham
1before 1000; Middle English hamme,Old English hamm bend of the knee; cognate with Middle Dutch, Middle Low German hamme,Old High German hamma; akin to Old Norse hǫm buttock; perhaps akin to Greek knḗmē shin, Old Irish cnáim bone
Other definitions for ham (2 of 4)
ham2
[ ham ]
/ hæm /
noun
an actor or performer who overacts.
an operator of an amateur radio station.
verb (used with or without object), hammed, ham·ming.
to act with exaggerated expression of emotion; overact.
Origin of ham
2First recorded in 1880–85; short for hamfatter, after The Hamfat Man, a Black minstrel song celebrating an awkward man
Other definitions for ham (3 of 4)
Ham
[ ham ]
/ hæm /
noun
the second son of Noah. Genesis 10:1.
Other definitions for ham (4 of 4)
HAM
or ham
[ ham ]
/ hæm /
adverb Slang.
hard as a motherfucker: in an extremely high-energy manner; to an exceptional degree (a euphemistic acronym used as a description of intensity, without explicit vulgarity): Nothing can stop me from partying HAM this spring break!
Origin of HAM
From its use in digital communications
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use ham in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for ham (1 of 2)
ham1
/ (hæm) /
noun
the part of the hindquarters of a pig or similar animal between the hock and the hip
the meat of this part, esp when salted or smoked
informal
- the back of the leg above the knee
- the space or area behind the knee
needlework a cushion used for moulding curves
Word Origin for ham
Old English hamm; related to Old High German hamma haunch, Old Irish cnāim bone, camm bent, Latin camur bent
British Dictionary definitions for ham (2 of 2)
ham2
/ (hæm) /
noun
theatre informal
- an actor who overacts or relies on stock gestures or mannerisms
- overacting or clumsy acting
- (as modifier)a ham actor
informal
- a licensed amateur radio operator
- (as modifier)a ham licence
verb hams, hamming or hammed
informal to overact
Word Origin for ham
C19: special use of ham 1; in some senses probably influenced by amateur
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Cultural definitions for ham
Ham
One of the three sons of Noah. According to the biblical account, Noah and his family were the only human survivors of the great Flood and were therefore the progenitors of all the peoples on Earth.
notes for Ham
notes for Ham
The “curse of Ham” refers to the biblical story in which Ham, seeing his father drunk and naked, refused to turn away as his two brothers did. When Noah awoke, he cursed Ham and his son Canaan, supposedly causing a darker pigmentation in their descendants. This so-called curse has often been wrongly used to justify racism.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.