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View synonyms for

ham

1

[ham]

noun

  1. a cut of meat from the heavy-muscled part of a hog's rear quarter, between hip and hock, usually cured.

  2. that part of a hog's hind leg.

  3. the part of the leg back of the knee.

  4. Often hams. the back of the thigh, or the thigh and the buttock together.



ham

2

[ham]

noun

  1. an actor or performer who overacts.

  2. an operator of an amateur radio station.

verb (used with or without object)

hammed, hamming 
  1. to act with exaggerated expression of emotion; overact.

Ham

3

[ham]

noun

  1. (in the Bible) the second son of Noah.

HAM

4
Or ham

[ham]

adverb

Slang.
  1. 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!

ham

1

/ æ /

noun

  1. the part of the hindquarters of a pig or similar animal between the hock and the hip

  2. the meat of this part, esp when salted or smoked

  3. informal

    1. the back of the leg above the knee

    2. the space or area behind the knee

  4. needlework a cushion used for moulding curves

“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

ham

2

/ æ /

noun

  1. informaltheatre

    1. an actor who overacts or relies on stock gestures or mannerisms

    2. overacting or clumsy acting

    3. ( as modifier )

      a ham actor

  2. informal

    1. a licensed amateur radio operator

    2. ( as modifier )

      a ham licence

“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

verb

  1. informalto overact

“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

Ham

  1. 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.

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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.
Egypt (see also Egypt) was traditionally called “the Land of Ham,” and Ham was considered to be the ancestor of the Egyptians and of all African peoples south of Egypt.
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Word History and Origins

Origin of ham1

before 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 ǫ buttock; perhaps akin to Greek ḗmŧ shin, Old Irish á bone

Origin of ham2

First recorded in 1880–85; short for hamfatter, after The Hamfat Man, a Black minstrel song celebrating an awkward man

Origin of ham3

From its use in digital communications
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Word History and Origins

Origin of ham1

Old English hamm; related to Old High German hamma haunch, Old Irish bone, camm bent, Latin camur bent

Origin of ham2

C19: special use of ham 1 ; in some senses probably influenced by amateur
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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. ham it up, to overact; ham.

  2. go HAM, to exhibit optimal energy or enthusiasm; to make a great effort.

    The team went HAM on the final play and mowed down the defense.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Nearby, another uses a carving knife to cut slices from a large leg of jamón ibérico, or Iberian ham, placing each one on a plate, to be served as an appetiser.

From

Recently, however, his obligatory ham and cheese toastie had been delivered to his room by a member of staff.

From

Before games, throughout the day, he started drinking three cans of Red Bull and a double espresso and eating a cheese and ham omelette with baked beans.

From

Archer is taking over what was Farmer John’s processing plant, Kang said, where Farmer John cooked ham, sausage and hot dogs.

From

For some people, ham is a non-negotiable centerpiece of the holiday tablescape.

From

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When To Use

else does ham mean?

To go ham is to put in an extraordinary, even aggressive, amount of effort. If you went crazy eating ham, you'd be going ham on some ham. In this sense, ham may stand for hard as a motherf****r.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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