Spam

[ spam ]

/ spæm /

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Trademark.

a canned food product consisting especially of pork formed into a solid block.

noun

(lowercase)Digital Technology. disruptive online messages, especially commercial messages posted on a computer network or sent as email (often used attributively): Install spam blocker software and keep your email spam filters updated to protect your accounts from unsolicited spam.

adjective

(lowercase)Digital Technology. (of promotional content on the internet) irrelevant or misdirected: The search engine delivered spam websites that had nothing to do with my keywords.

verb (used with object), spammed, spam·ming.

(lowercase)Digital Technology. to send spam to.

(lowercase)Digital Technology. to execute (an action) or use (an item) rapidly or repeatedly in a video game: Spam the attack button as soon as the fight begins.

verb (used without object), spammed, spam·ming.

(lowercase)Digital Technology. to send spam.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

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.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of Spam

First recorded in 1937 for the trademarked term; sp(iced) + (h)am¹; 1990–95 for the other senses, probably referring to a comedy routine on Monty Python's Flying Circus, British TV series, in which the word Spam is used repeatedly

OTHER WORDS FROM Spam

spammer, noun

Words nearby Spam

Spalding, spall, Spallanzani, spallation, spalpeen, Spam, spambot, spammie, spamming, span, spanakopita

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

How to use Spam in a sentence

Two weeks ago, spam text messages started pinging the mobile phones of Hong Kong residents associated with the protests.
A Double Agent App Targets Hong Kong’s Protesters|Jacob Siegel|October 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Spam, squirt guns, earthworms, pirate costumes—stuff like that.
Cheap Trick: Most Magicians Are Lazy Hacks|Rick Lax|August 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Perhaps the most curious dish available for breakfast, listed on the menu as "Everyone's Favorite," is Spam and eggs.
Spaghetti for Breakfast?! Not So Crazy at This Idaho Farm Café|Jane & Michael Stern|August 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“There are plenty of companies that are more than happy to spam and scam customers with bare-minimum products,” McEwen says.
Silicon Valley’s Soft Sex Ban|Joshua Rivera|May 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST

APN will not send you any other content—no spam, no solicitation.
Where to Find APN's News Nosh|Orly Halpern|December 19, 2013|DAILY BEAST
This is called a "word frequency histogram" and it tells you what the probability is that any bag of words is likely to be spam.
Little Brother|Cory Doctorow
Darryl and I once tried to write our own better spam filter and when you filter spam, you need Bayesian math.
Little Brother|Cory Doctorow
Now, take a ton of email that's not spam -- in the biz, they call that "ham" -- and do the same.
Little Brother|Cory Doctorow
You take every word that's in the spam and count how many times it appears.
Little Brother|Cory Doctorow
If it turns out to be spam, you adjust the "spam" histogram accordingly.
Little Brother|Cory Doctorow

British Dictionary definitions for Spam (1 of 2)

spam

/ (spæm) computing slang /

verb spams, spamming or spammed

to send unsolicited electronic mail or text messages simultaneously to a number of e-mail addresses or mobile phones

noun

unsolicited electronic mail or text messages sent in this way

Derived forms of spam

spammer, noun

Word Origin for spam

C20: from the repeated use of the word Spam in a popular sketch from the British television show Monty Python's Flying Circus, first broadcast in 1969

British Dictionary definitions for Spam (2 of 2)

Spam

/ (spæm) /

noun

trademark a kind of tinned luncheon meat, made largely from pork

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 Spam

spam

Unsolicited, undesired e-mail. Also used as a verb. Spam is the e-mail version of junk mail.

notes for spam

The name comes from a Monty Python comedy skit about a restaurant that served only Spam.