ham

ham

synonyms, antonyms, definitions, examples & translations of ham in English

English Online Dictionary. What means ham‎? What does ham mean?

English

Etymology 1

Inherited from Middle English hamme, from Old English hamm (“inner or hind part of the knee, ham”), from Proto-Germanic *hamō, *hammō, *hanmō, from Proto-Indo-European *kónh₂m (“leg”).

Cognate with Dutch ham (“ham”), dialectal German Hamme (“hind part of the knee, ham”), dialectal Swedish ham (“the hind part of the knee”), Icelandic höm (“the ham or haunch of a horse”), Old Irish cnáim (“bone”), Ancient Greek κνήμη (knḗmē, “shinbone”). Compare gammon and gam.

Pronunciation

  • enPR: hăm, IPA(key): /ˈhæm/
  • (Southern England, General Australian) IPA(key): /ˈhæːm/
  • Rhymes: -æm

Noun

ham (countable and uncountable, plural hams)

  2. (anatomy) The region back of the knee joint; the popliteal space; the hock.
  3. (countable) A thigh and buttock of an animal slaughtered for meat.
  4. (uncountable) Meat from the thigh of a hog cured for food.
  5. The back of the thigh.
  6. (Internet, informal, uncommon) Electronic mail that is wanted; mail that is not spam or junk mail.
    Synonym: ham e-mail
    Antonym: spam
Derived terms
Translations

Etymology 2

Derived from Old English hām.

Noun

ham (uncountable)

  1. Obsolete form of home.
Usage notes
  • Persists in many old place names, such as Buckingham.

References

  • Douglas Harper (2001–2025) “ham”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

Etymology 3

Uncertain, though it is generally agreed upon that it first appeared in print around the 1880s. At least four theories persist:

  • It came naturally from the word amateur. Deemed likely by Hendrickson (1997), but then the question would be why it took so long to pop up. He rejects the folk etymology of Cockney slang hamateur because it originated in American English.
  • From the play Hamlet, where the title character was often played poorly and/or in an exaggerated manner. Also deemed likely by Hendrickson, though he raises the issue that the term would have likely been around earlier if this were case.
  • From the minstrel's practice of using ham fat to remove heavy black makeup used during performances.
  • Shortened from hamfatter (“inferior actor”), said to derive from the 1863 minstrel show song The Ham-fat Man. William and Mary Morris (1988) argue that it's not known whether the song inspired the term or the term inspired the song, but that they believe the latter is the case.

Noun

ham (plural hams)

  1. (acting) An overacting or amateurish performer; an actor with an especially showy or exaggerated style.
    Synonyms: hambone, hamfatter, overactor, tear-cat
  2. (radio) An amateur radio operator.
    Synonym: radio amateur
Derived terms
Translations

Verb

ham (third-person singular simple present hams, present participle hamming, simple past and past participle hammed)

  1. (acting) To overact; to act with exaggerated emotions.
    Synonyms: chew the scenery, ham it up, melodramatize, overact, tear a cat
Translations

See also

  • go ham

References

Anagrams

  • HMA, MHA, Mah, mah

Afrikaans

Etymology

Inherited from Dutch ham, from Middle Dutch hamme, from Old Dutch [Term?], from Proto-Germanic *hammō, from Proto-Indo-European *kónh₂m (“leg”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɦam/
  • Hyphenation: ham

Noun

ham (plural hamme, diminutive hammetjie)

  1. ham (cured pork from the thigh of a swine)

Caribbean Hindustani

Etymology

Cognate with Hindi हम (ham, “we”).

Pronoun

ham

  1. I

References

  • Beknopt Nederland-Sarnami Woordenboek met Sarnami Hindoestani-Nederlanse Woordenlijst‎[2] (in Dutch), Paramaribo: Instituut voor Taalwetenschap, 2002

Catalan

Etymology

Derived from Latin hamus.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): (Central, Balearic, Valencia) [ˈam]

Noun

ham m (plural hams)

  1. fishhook

Derived terms

Further reading

  • “ham” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.

Cebuano

Etymology

Derived from English ham, from Middle English hamme, from Old English hamm (“inner or hind part of the knee, ham”), from Proto-Germanic *hamō, *hammō, *hanmō, from Proto-Indo-European *kónh₂m (“leg”).

Noun

ham

  1. ham (meat from the thigh of a hog cured for food)

Chamorro

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kami, from Proto-Austronesian *kami. Cognates include Indonesian kami and Tagalog kami.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /hæm/

Pronoun

ham

  1. we, us (exclusive)

Usage notes

  • ham is used either as a subject of an intransitive verb or as an object of a transitive verb, while in is used as a subject of a transitive verb.
    I lahi ha sangani ham. ― The man told us.
  • In transitive clauses with an indefinite object, ham can be used as a subject.

See also

References

  • Donald M. Topping (1973) Chamorro Reference Grammar‎[3], Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.

Chinese

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

Verb

ham

  1. (Hong Kong Cantonese, slang, euphemistic) to die
    • 再過26周年，好話唔好聽，可能我都『ham』咗，呢幾年好多重要嘅人或者演唱會嘅朋友離開咗，我仲可以企喺台度同大家表演，係值得嘅。 [Cantonese, trad.]
      再过26周年，好话唔好听，可能我都『ham』咗，呢几年好多重要嘅人或者演唱会嘅朋友离开咗，我仲可以企喺台度同大家表演，系值得嘅。 [Cantonese, simp.]
      zoi3 gwo3 26 zau1 nin4, hou2 waa6 m4 hou2 teng1, ho2 nang4 ngo5 dou1 ‘hem1’ zo2, ni1 gei2 nin4 hou2 do1 zung6 jiu3 ge3 jan4 waak6 ze2 jin2 coeng3 wui6-2 ge3 pang4 jau5 lei4 hoi1 zo2, ngo5 zung6 ho2 ji5 kei5 hai2 toi4 dou6 tung4 daai6 gaa1 biu2 jin2, hai6 zik6 dak1 ge3. [Jyutping]
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Synonyms

Czech

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [ˈɦam]
  • Hyphenation: ham

Interjection

ham

  1. nom (indicating the action of eating)

Derived terms

Further reading

  • “ham”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
  • “ham”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
  • “ham”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2025

Danish

Etymology 1

Inherited from Old Norse hamr, Proto-Germanic *hamaz, *hamô.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈhɑmˀ/, [ˈhɑ̈mˀ]

Noun

ham c (singular definite hammen, plural indefinite hamme)

  1. slough, skin
Declension
Derived terms

Etymology 2

Older hannem, from Old Norse hǫnum, the dative of hann (“he”). Compare Swedish honom.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /hɑm/, [hɑ̈m]

Pronoun

ham

  1. (personal) him: objective of han

See also

Dutch

Etymology

Inherited from Middle Dutch hamme, from Old Dutch *hama, from Proto-Germanic *hammō, from Proto-Indo-European *kónh₂m (“leg”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɦɑm/
  • Hyphenation: ham
  • Rhymes: -ɑm
  • Homophone: Ham

Noun

ham f (plural hammen, diminutive hammetje n)

  1. ham (cured pork from the thigh of a swine)

Derived terms

Descendants

  • → Papiamentu: ham

Fiji Hindi

Etymology

Derived from Hindi हम (ham, “we, I”).

Pronoun

ham

  1. I (1st person singular personal pronoun)

Fyer

Etymology

Cognate with Gerka ram (“water”).

Noun

ham

  1. water

References

  • Roger Blench, Ron Comparative Wordlist
  • Takács, Gábor (2007) Etymological Dictionary of Egyptian, volume 3, Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 201, →ISBN:
    […] we should carefully distinguish the following Ch. roots from AA *m-ˀ "water" [GT]:
    (1) Ch. *h-m "water" [GT]: WCh. *hama [Stl.]: AS *ham (Gmy. *hām) [GT 2004, 153] = *am [Stl. 1977] = *ham [Dlg.] = *ham [Stl. 1987]: […] Ron *ham [GT]: Fyer & Bks. & DB & Sha ham, Klr. ˀaàm […]
  • Václav Blažek, A Lexicostatistical comparison of Omotic languages, in In Hot Pursuit of Language in Prehistory: Essays in the four fields of anthropology, page 122

Galician

Verb

ham

  1. (reintegrationist norm) third-person plural present indicative of haver

German

Etymology

A pronunciation spelling of haben.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ham/

Verb

ham

  1. (colloquial) Contraction of haben
    Wir ham grad gefrühstückt. ― We've just had breakfast.

Usage notes

Usually used in the present or to form the perfect, though it may be seen in the infinitive as well. See also the note at haben.

See also

  • hamse
  • haste

Irish

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [haːmˠ], [hamˠ]

Noun

ham m

  1. h-prothesized form of am

Laz

Pronoun

ham

  1. Latin spelling of ჰამ (ham)

Middle English

Etymology 1

Inherited from Old English ham, hamm (“enclosure”), from Proto-West Germanic *hamm, from Proto-Germanic *hammaz.

Alternative forms

  • hamme

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ham/

Noun

ham (plural hammes)

  1. An enclosed pasture.

References

  • “hamme, n.(2).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2019-04-04.

Etymology 2

Noun

ham (plural hames)

  1. Alternative form of hamme (“back of the knee”)

Etymology 3

Pronoun

ham

  1. Alternative form of hem (“them”)

Etymology 4

Inherited from Old English heom

Pronoun

ham

  1. (Early Middle English) Alternative form of hem (“them”)
    • c1225, Þe Liflade ant te Passiun of Seinte Iuliene, ed. S. T. R. O. d'Ardenne, pp. 3-71.
      [Juliana] custe ham coss os peis [Roy: acos of pes] alle as ha stoden.

Etymology 5

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /hɑːm/

Noun

ham (plural hamen or hames)

  1. (Early Middle English, Northern) Alternative form of hom (“home”)

Middle French

Noun

ham m (plural hams)

  1. village

Montol

Etymology

Cognate with Mwaghavul am (“water”).

Noun

hàm

  1. water

References

  • Takács, Gábor (2007) Etymological Dictionary of Egyptian, volume 3, Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 201, →ISBN:
    […] we should carefully distinguish the following Ch. roots from AA *m-ˀ "water" [GT]:
    (1) Ch. *h-m "water" [GT]: WCh. *hama [Stl.]: AS *ham (Gmy. *hām) [GT 2004, 153] = *am [Stl. 1977] = *ham [Dlg.] = *ham [Stl. 1987]: […] Tal hàm [Jng./JI], Mnt. hàm "Wasser" [Jng. 1965, 171], […]

North Frisian

Pronoun

ham

  1. (Föhr-Amrum, Mooring) Object case of hi: him, himself
  2. (Föhr-Amrum, Mooring) Object case of hat: it, (in practice chiefly) itself
  3. (Föhr-Amrum) Object case of hat: her, herself

Alternative forms

  • (him): 'n (reduced form), höm (Sylt)
  • (it): at, et, 't (reduced forms), höm (Sylt)
  • (her): 't (reduced form), har (Mooring), höör (Sylt)

See also

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology 1

Inherited from Old Norse hann.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /hɑm/

Pronoun

ham

  1. him

See also

Etymology 2

Inherited from Old Norse hamr.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /hɑːm/

Noun

ham m (definite singular hammen, indefinite plural hammer, definite plural hammene)

  1. skin or slough (discarded skin of certain animals)
Derived terms

References

  • “ham” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
  • “ham_1” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).
  • “ham_2” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

Derived from Old Norse hamr.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /hɑːm/

Noun

ham m (definite singular hamen, indefinite plural hamar, definite plural hamane)

  1. skin or slough (discarded skin of certain animals)

Derived terms

References

  • “ham” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Old English

Etymology 1

Inherited from Proto-West Germanic *haim, from Proto-Germanic *haimaz.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /xɑːm/, [hɑːm]

Noun

hām m

  1. home
    • c. 992, Ælfric, "The Assumption of St. John the Apostle"
  2. property, estate, farm
    • late 10th century, Ælfric, "Saint Maur, Abbot"
  3. village; community
Usage notes
  • In early Old English, the dative singular was always hām, not the expected form hāme.
Declension

Strong a-stem:

Derived terms
  • hāmlēas

Adverb

hām

  1. home, homeward
    hām gān ― to go home
    hām cuman ― to come home
    hām ċierran ― to turn home
    hām bringan ― to bring home

Descendants

  • Middle English: hom, hoom, home, hoome, whom, om, am, hame (Northern), ham (Early Middle English)
    • English: home, -ham (partially)
    • Geordie English: hyem
    • Scots: hame
    • Yola: hime, hyme, haime

Etymology 2

Inherited from Proto-Germanic *hammaz. Cognate with Old Frisian ham, Middle Low German hamme (Low Low German Hamm).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /xɑm/, [hɑm]

Noun

ham m

  1. Alternative form of hamm (“enclosure”)

Etymology 3

Inherited from Proto-Germanic *hammō.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /xɑm/, [hɑm]

Noun

ham f

  1. Alternative form of hamm (“inner knee”)

Etymology 4

Inherited from Proto-West Germanic *ham, from Proto-Germanic *hamaz (“covering”). Cognate with Old Norse hamr.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /xɑm/, [hɑm]

Noun

ham m

  1. covering
  2. garment, dress, gown; shirt
Declension

Strong a-stem:

Related terms

Old French

Etymology

Borrowed from Frankish *haim (“home, village”).

Noun

ham oblique singular, m (oblique plural hans, nominative singular hans, nominative plural ham)

  1. village

Descendants

  • Walloon: hamea, amia, hamia
  • Walloon: hamtea, hametê, hamtia, amtia
  • ⇒ Old French: hamel
    • Middle French: hamel
      • French: hameau
    • Walloon: hamô
    • → Middle English: hamel
    • ⇒ Old French: hamelet, hamlet
      • Middle French: hamelet
      • → Middle English: hamelet, hamlet
        • Early Scots: hamillet, hamlet, hamelat, hamelet
        • English: hamlet

Old Frisian

Alternative forms

  • hēm

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-West Germanic *haim. Cognates include Old English hām and Old Saxon hēm.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈhaːm/

Noun

hām m

  1. home

Descendants

  • North Frisian: hamm
  • Saterland Frisian: Heem
  • West Frisian: hiem

References

  • Bremmer, Rolf H. (2009) An Introduction to Old Frisian: History, Grammar, Reader, Glossary, Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company, →ISBN, page 28

Old Norse

Noun

ham

  1. accusative/dative singular of hamr

Rohingya

Noun

ham

  1. work

Derived terms

Romanian

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ham/
  • Rhymes: -am

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Hungarian hám.

Noun

ham n (plural hamuri)

  1. harness
Declension
Derived terms

Etymology 2

Onomatopoeic.

Interjection

ham!

  1. woof (the sound a barking dog makes)

See also

  • hau

Ron

Etymology

Cognate with Gerka ram (“water”).

Noun

ham

  1. (most dialects, including Mangar, Bokkos, Daffo-Butura, Shagawu) water

Synonyms

  • àyîn (Monguna)

References

  • Roger Blench, Ron Comparative Wordlist
  • Takács, Gábor (2007) Etymological Dictionary of Egyptian, volume 3, Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 201, →ISBN:
    […] we should carefully distinguish the following Ch. roots from AA *m-ˀ "water" [GT]:
    (1) Ch. *h-m "water" [GT]: WCh. *hama [Stl.]: AS *ham (Gmy. *hām) [GT 2004, 153] = *am [Stl. 1977] = *ham [Dlg.] = *ham [Stl. 1987]: […] Ron *ham [GT]: Fyer & Bks. & DB & Sha ham, Klr. ˀaàm […]

Serbo-Croatian

Alternative forms

  • ȃm

Etymology

Borrowed from Hungarian hám.

Noun

hȃm m (Cyrillic spelling ха̑м)

  1. harness

Sha

Etymology

Cognate with Gerka ram (“water”).

Noun

ham

  1. water

References

  • Roger Blench, Ron Comparative Wordlist

Tal

Etymology

Cognate with Mwaghavul am (“water”).

Noun

hàm

  1. water

References

  • Takács, Gábor (2007) Etymological Dictionary of Egyptian, volume 3, Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 201, →ISBN:
    […] we should carefully distinguish the following Ch. roots from AA *m-ˀ "water" [GT]:
    (1) Ch. *h-m "water" [GT]: WCh. *hama [Stl.]: AS *ham (Gmy. *hām) [GT 2004, 153] = *am [Stl. 1977] = *ham [Dlg.] = *ham [Stl. 1987]: […] Tal hàm [Jng./JI], Mnt. hàm "Wasser" [Jng. 1965, 171], […]

Tambas

Etymology

Cognate with Gerka ram (“water”).

Noun

ham

  1. water

References

  • Roger Blench, Ron Comparative Wordlist

Turkish

Etymology

Derived from Persian خام (xâm).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /hɑm/

Adjective

ham

  1. raw, unripe

Vietnamese

Etymology

Pronunciation

  • (Hà Nội) IPA(key): [haːm˧˧]
  • (Huế) IPA(key): [haːm˧˧]
  • (Saigon) IPA(key): [haːm˧˧]

Adjective

ham • (𫺧, 𫻎)

  1. greedy
  2. eager; keen

Derived terms

See also

  • mải

West Frisian

Etymology

Ultimately from Proto-Germanic *hammō. This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Noun

ham c (plural hammen, diminutive hamke)

  1. ham

Further reading

  • “ham (II)”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011

Yola

Pronoun

ham

  1. Alternative form of him

References

  • Jacob Poole (d. 1827) (before 1828) William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, published 1867, page 36

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