Spam

[ spam ]

/ spæm /

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.

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

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

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for Spam

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
I just done gone miss' a spam whale, and I was kiender mad,—muss ha' bin.
The Cruise of the Cachalot|Frank T. Bullen
If it turns out to be spam, you adjust the "spam" histogram accordingly.
Little Brother|Cory Doctorow
You take every word that's in the spam and count how many times it appears.
Little Brother|Cory Doctorow
So you're saying that you think the police should suck as hard as my spam filter?
Little Brother|Cory Doctorow
To the majority, spam means no more than chopped meat in a can.
The Civilization of Illiteracy|Mihai Nadin

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.

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Spam

Trademark.

noun

adjective

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

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

QUIZZES

DISCOVER THE INFLUENCE OF PORTUGUESE ON ENGLISH VIA THIS QUIZ!

Origin of Spam

OTHER WORDS FROM Spam

Words nearby Spam

Example sentences from the Web for Spam

British Dictionary definitions for Spam (1 of 2)

verb spams, spamming or spammed

noun

Derived forms of spam

Word Origin for spam

British Dictionary definitions for Spam (2 of 2)

noun

Cultural definitions for Spam

notes for spam