Dictionary

Adam en · PROPN

Pronunciation

• /ˈædəm/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈɛdəm/ (New-Zealand)
• [ˈæɾm̩] (Australia, Canada, General-American)
• audio SSB
• /ˈædəm/ (Australia, Canada, General-American)
• /ˈadəm/ (British, Northern-England, Scotland, Southern, Standard, Wales)
• [ˈæɾəm] (Australia, Canada, General-American)

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Semitic *ʔadam- Hebrew אָדָםbor. Ancient Greek Ἀδάμ (Adám)bor. Latin Ādāmlbor. Old English Adam Middle English Adam English Adam From Middle English Adam, from Old English Adam, from Latin Adam, Adamus, from Ancient Greek Ἀδάμ (Adám), Ἄδαμος (Ádamos), from Biblical Hebrew אָדָם (adam, “earth, man, soil, light brown”), from אדמה (adamah, “red earth, ground”).

Meanings

1. The first man and the progenitor of the human race.
   • Say Goddeſs, what enſu'd when Raphael, / The affable Arch-angel, had forewarn'd / Adam by dire example to beware / Apoſtaſie, 1667, John Milton, “Book VII”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 40–43:
   • And Adam called his wiues name Eue, because she was the mother of all liuing. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 3:20:
2. A male given name from Hebrew.
   • In his tall stalwartness Adam Bede was a Saxon, and justified his name; but the jet-black hair, made the more noticeable by its contrast with the light paper cap, and the keen glance of the dark eyes that shone from under strongly marked, proninent, and mobile eyebrows, indicated a mixture of Celtic blood. 1859, George Eliot [pseudonym; Mary Ann Evans], “The Workshop”, in Adam Bede […], volume I, Edinburgh; London: William Blackwood and Sons, →OCLC, book first, page 3:
   • Since then I have deciphered some more of Adam’s hieroglyphics, and think he has now become sufficiently important as a public character to justify this publication. 1904, Mark Twain, Extracts from Adam's Diary:
   • What splendid names for boys there are! / There's Carol like a rolling car, / And Martin like a flying bird, / And Adam like the Lord's First Word, 1933, Eleanor Farjeon, “Boys' Names”, in Over the Garden Wall, Faber and Faber, page 90:
   • The US House of Representatives on Wednesday voted to censure Rep. Adam Schiff, a key lawmaker in Democrats’ congressional investigations into former President Donald Trump during his presidency. 2023 June 21, Haley Talbot and Kristin Wilson, “House votes to censure Democratic congressman who led Trump investigations”, in CNN, archived from the original on 29 Jun 2023:
3. (figuratively) Original sin or human frailty.
4. (usually, with modifiers such as second or last) Jesus Christ, whose sacrifice, in Christian theology, makes possible the forgiveness of Adam's original sin.
   • Second Adam from above, Reinstate us in thy love. 1739, Charles Wesley, Hark! the Herald Angels Sing:
   • And so it is written: The first man Adam was made a liuing soule, the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Corinthians 15:45:
   • Christ, the true and better Adam, Son of God and Son of man; Who, when tempted in the garden never yielded, never sinned. 2020, Matt Boswell, Keith Getty, Matt Papa, “Christ the True and Better”, in Almost Home: The Hymns of Matt Boswell and Matt Papa, Vol. 2, performed by Matt Boswell and Matt Papa:
5. Designating a neoclassical style of furniture and architecture in the style of Robert and James Adam.
   • McIntyre's best pieces, such as the fireplace in the Otis house, managed to convey both an opulent warmth and a restrained elegance, and compares favorably with the artistic saturnalia of an Adam fireplace. 2001, Norman K. Risjord, Representative Americans: The Revolutionary Generation, page 164:
   • Inside were six-panelled doors, wide floor-boards, a curving colonial staircase, white Adam-period mantels, and a rear set of rooms three steps below the general level. 1936, HP Lovecraft, The Haunter of the Dark:
6. An English surname originating as a patronymic.
7. A Scottish surname originating as a patronymic.
8. A French surname originating as a patronymic.
9. A German surname originating as a patronymic.
10. (slang) The drug ecstasy.
    • I heard people say they were taking "Adam." Is that the same drug or something different? Ecstasy goes by many different names […] 2008, Jennifer Wider, The Doctor's Complete College Girls' Health Guide, page 94:
    • I prefer to call it "Adam." "Ecstasy" is a beautiful word, but I think Ecstasy is a word more often used by people taking it for thrills. 1990, Jerome Beck, The MDMA Controversy: Contexts of Use and Social Control, page 131:

Forms

Deriveds

apple of Adam · Atkin · Adam's Bridge · Adam's ale · as old as Adam · co-Adamite · Christmas Adam · Adam's morsel · Adamhood · Adamstown · Adamish · Adam-ondi-Ahman · Adam's Peak · Adam and Steve · Adam's apple · Adamic · Adamian · old as Adam · Adam and Eve · Adamless · Adamical · Adamite · since Adam was a boy · Adam Henry · Adam's wine · Adam's needle · Old Adam · Charlton Adam · pre-Adamitism · Adam's flannel · pre-Adamite · not know someone from Adam · Adamesque · Adamitism

Descendants

Adam

Relateds

Addyman · McAdie · Aikens · Aitchison · MacAdam · McCaw · Addis · Atkinson · Addy · Aikins · Acheson · McAdams · McGaw · Aitkins · Adie · Aikin · Aitken · Adkin · Haddy · Addison · Atkins · MacAdams · Adnett · Ade · Keddie · Kiddy · Eve · Aitkens · Ades · Atkin · Adkins · Addams · Addey · Esau · Aicken · Adams · Adamson · Aitkin · Megaw · Adey · Edom · Adnitt · Macadam · Kiddie · Aiken · MacCaw · McKeggie · Atcheson · Hadcock · Keddy · Addie · Adcock · Baddams

Translations (189)

lt Adomas (male given name) · kmr Adem (male given name) · zza Adam (diq) (male given name) · cs Adam (first man in Abrahamic religions) · or ଆଦମ (first man in Abrahamic religions) · yo Ádámù (first man in Abrahamic religions) · ja アダム (first man in Abrahamic religions) · gl Adán (male given name) · la Ādām (male given name) · cop ⲁⲇⲁⲙ (first man in Abrahamic religions) · fro Adan (first man in Abrahamic religions) · gd Àdhamh (male given name) · xcl Ադամ (male given name) · ca Adam (first man in Abrahamic religions) · sk Adam (first man in Abrahamic religions) · am አዳም (first man in Abrahamic religions) · ar آدَم (first man in Abrahamic religions) · ga Ádhamh (first man in Abrahamic religions) · arc אדם (first man in Abrahamic religions) · vi A-đam (first man in Abrahamic religions) · izh Aato (male given name) · grc Ἄδαμος (male given name) · es Adán (first man in Abrahamic religions) · da Adam (first man in Abrahamic religions) · fi Aatami (figuratively: original sin; human frailty) · id Adam (first man in Abrahamic religions) · hu Ádám (first man in Abrahamic religions) · sh А̀дам (first man in Abrahamic religions) · my အာဒန် (first man in Abrahamic religions) · fr Adam (first man in Abrahamic religions) · sh Àdam (male given name) · tl Adan (first man in Abrahamic religions) · mt Adam (first man in Abrahamic religions) · sq Adhami (surname derived from Adam or its equivalents in other languages) · sv Adam (first man in Abrahamic religions) · ko 애덤 (male given name) · he אָדָם (first man in Abrahamic religions) · sq Adham (male given name) · el Αδάμος (male given name) · kw Adam (first man in Abrahamic religions) · bg Ада́м (male given name) · tr Adem (male given name) · bg Ада́м (first man in Abrahamic religions) · ha Adamu (first man in Abrahamic religions) · fa آدام (male given name) · zza Adam (diq) (first man in Abrahamic religions) · got 𐌰𐌳𐌰𐌼 (first man in Abrahamic religions) · sd آدم (first man in Abrahamic religions) · ja アダム (male given name) · ur آدم (first man in Abrahamic religions) · ckb ئادەم (first man in Abrahamic religions) · pt Adão (male given name) · cmn 阿丹 (first man in Abrahamic religions) · km អ័ដាម (first man in Abrahamic religions) · is Adam (first man in Abrahamic religions) · ps آدم (first man in Abrahamic religions) · cs Adam (male given name) · fo Ádam (first man in Abrahamic religions) · ar آدَم (male given name) · sw Adamu (male given name) · lt Adomas (first man in Abrahamic religions) · hu Ádám (male given name) · ia Adam (first man in Abrahamic religions) · pt Adão (first man in Abrahamic religions) · sq Adham (first man in Abrahamic religions) · gv Adaue (first man in Abrahamic religions) · la Ādām (first man in Abrahamic religions) · enm Adam (first man in Abrahamic religions) · sq Adem (first man in Abrahamic religions) · si ආදම් (first man in Abrahamic religions) · mi Ārama (male given name) · lv Ādams (first man in Abrahamic religions) · it Adamo (male given name) · tr Adem (first man in Abrahamic religions) · de Adam (first man in Abrahamic religions) · ca Adam (male given name) · te ఆదాము (first man in Abrahamic religions) · haw ʻAkamu (male given name) · haw ʻAdamu (first man in Abrahamic religions) · gd Àdhamh (first man in Abrahamic religions) · et Aadam (first man in Abrahamic religions) · chr ᎠᏓᏫ (first man in Abrahamic religions) · xcl Ադամ (first man in Abrahamic religions) · wa Adan (male given name) · ur آدم (male given name) · csb Jadóm (male given name) · nl Adam (first man in Abrahamic religions) · bg А́дам (male given name) · th อาดัม (surname derived from Adam or its equivalents in other languages) · fo Ádam (male given name) · tpi Adam (male given name) · kk Адам (first man in Abrahamic religions) · th อาดัม (male given name) · dng Адан (first man in Abrahamic religions) · sh А̀дам (male given name) · nl Adam (male given name) · sq Adem (male given name) · mr आदाम (first man in Abrahamic religions) · sq Adam (first man in Abrahamic religions) · hi ऐडम (male given name) · grc Ἀδάμ (male given name) · sk Adam (male given name) · as আদম (first man in Abrahamic religions) · fa آدم (male given name) · hy Ադամ (first man in Abrahamic religions) · mk А́дам (male given name) · da Adam (male given name) · ar ءَادَم (first man in Abrahamic religions) · it Adamo (first man in Abrahamic religions) · no Adam (male given name) · enm Adam (with "last" or "second", Jesus Christ) · fr Adam (male given name) · ckb ئادەم (male given name) · ta ஆடம் (male given name) · el Αδάμ (male given name) · kmr Adem (first man in Abrahamic religions) · si ආදම් (male given name) · sq Adami (surname derived from Adam or its equivalents in other languages) · hi आदम (first man in Abrahamic religions) · uz Odam (first man in Abrahamic religions) · bn আদম (first man in Abrahamic religions) · fi Aatami (male given name) · yo Aádámọ̀ (first man in Abrahamic religions) · cy Adda (male given name) · cy Adda (first man in Abrahamic religions) · bg Ада́мов (surname derived from Adam or its equivalents in other languages) · pl Adam (male given name) · hi आदम (male given name) · fi vanha Aatami (figuratively: original sin; human frailty) · mk А́дам (first man in Abrahamic religions) · gl Adán (first man in Abrahamic religions) · grc Ἀδάμ (first man in Abrahamic religions) · sw Adamu (first man in Abrahamic religions) · id Adam (male given name) · gu આદમ (first man in Abrahamic religions) · ml ആദാം (first man in Abrahamic religions) · cu адамъ (first man in Abrahamic religions) · de Adam (male given name) · yue 亞當 /亚当 (first man in Abrahamic religions) · enm Adam (male given name) · ms Adam (first man in Abrahamic religions) · bo ཨ་དམ (first man in Abrahamic religions) · he אָדָם (male given name) · tpi Adam (first man in Abrahamic religions) · sq Ademi (surname derived from Adam or its equivalents in other languages) · is Adam (male given name) · syc ܐܖܡ (first man in Abrahamic religions) · ko 아담 (first man in Abrahamic religions) · kn ಆದಾಮನು (first man in Abrahamic religions) · sq Adam (male given name) · es Adam (first man in Abrahamic religions) · pl Adam (first man in Abrahamic religions) · lv Ādams (male given name) · mi Ārama (first man in Abrahamic religions) · fi Aadam (first man in Abrahamic religions) · el Αδάμ (first man in Abrahamic religions) · sh Àdam (first man in Abrahamic religions) · fi Aadam (with "last" or "second", Jesus Christ) · ms Adam (male given name) · fi Aatamila (surname derived from Adam or its equivalents in other languages) · fi Adam (designating a neoclassical style) · fi Adam-tyyli (designating a neoclassical style) · th อาดัม (first man in Abrahamic religions) · ba Әҙәм (first man in Abrahamic religions) · cmn 亞當 /亚当 (male given name) · syc ܐܕܡ (first man in Abrahamic religions) · et Aadu (male given name) · ga Ádhamh (male given name) · ia Adam (male given name) · eo Adamo (male given name) · pa ਆਦਮ (first man in Abrahamic religions) · rhg Adom (first man in Abrahamic religions) · fa آدم (first man in Abrahamic religions) · ha Adamu (male given name) · wa Adan (first man in Abrahamic religions) · sc Adàmu (male given name) · syl ꠀꠖꠝ (first man in Abrahamic religions) · sv Adam (male given name) · ta ஆதாம் (first man in Abrahamic religions) · es Adán (male given name) · eo Adamo (first man in Abrahamic religions) · hsb Hadam (male given name) · ru Ада́м (first man in Abrahamic religions) · cmn 亞當 /亚当 (first man in Abrahamic religions) · el Αδάμ (with "last" or "second", Jesus Christ) · ru Ада́м (male given name) · hy Ադամ (male given name) · no Adam (first man in Abrahamic religions) · fro Adam (first man in Abrahamic religions)

wikidata: Q347181