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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

ham en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

  • /ˈham/ (British, Midlands, Southern, Standard)
  • /ˈhæːm/ (Australia)
  • /ˈhɛm/ (New-Zealand)
  • [ˈham] ~ [ˈhäm] (Northern-England, Scotland, Wales)
  • [ˈhɛm] (New-Zealand)
  • [ˈham] (British, Midlands, Southern, Standard)
  • [ˈhæm] without æ-raising
  • /ˈham/ (Northern-England, Scotland, Wales)
  • [ˈhæːm] without æ-raising
  • /ˈhæm/ (Canada, US)
  • [ˈhæm] ~ [ˈham] (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /ˈhæm/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • [ˈheːm] ~ [ˈhɛːm] æ-raising
  • [ˈheə̯m] ~ [ˈhɛə̯m] æ-raising
  • audio

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English hamme, from Old English hamm (“inner or hind part of the knee, ham”), from Proto-West Germanic *hammu, 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.

Meanings

  1. (countable, uncountable) The region back of the knee joint; the popliteal space; the hock.
  2. (countable) A thigh and/or buttock of a hog slaughtered for meat; (occasionally) the corresponding cut from some other animal.
    • "I'll have you so your hams will stand out like horse's shanks!" de declared. 1931, Ion L. Idriess, Lasseter's Last Ride, Sydney: Angus and Robertson, page 165:
  3. (uncountable) Meat from the thigh and/or buttock of a hog cured for food.
    • a little piece of ham for the cat
    • She put some ham in the beans and cut up some sweet potatoes to boil. 2012, Audra Lilly Griffeth, A King's Daughter, →ISBN:
  4. (countable, uncountable) The back of the thigh of humans or certain other animals.
  5. (Internet, countable, informal, uncommon, uncountable) Electronic mail that is wanted; email that is not spam or junk mail.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
hams Number=Plur lexicographic

Antonyms

junk mail · spam

Deriveds

ham band · Admiralty ham · ham-and-eggs daisy · stuffed ham · ham-handedly · Christmas ham · ham-handed · ham chin peng · butter-ham · chipped ham · Black Forest ham · ham-and-egger · dressmaker's ham · tailor's ham · ham sandwich · ham salad · chipped chopped ham · Limerick ham · ham shank · Jinhua ham · Bayonne ham · hamfat · burger · Taylor ham · ham-handedness · hambeast · pressed ham · ham wild · turkey ham · ham hock · ham and beef shop · ham steak · ham up · mutton ham · hammie · ham e-mail · hamwich · hamily · ham-sandwich · hamplanet · Spam · ham hands · Gourock ham · hamlike · ham and eggs · ham-fistedly · ham sandwich theorem · hamstring · ham exam · hamshackle · Parma ham · ham-fisted · ham barbecue · rum ham · Westphalian ham · country ham · Smithfield ham · hammy · deviled ham · hambone · devilled ham · York ham · Spanish ham

Hypernyms

food · food · meat · cut · meat

Synonyms

ham e-mail

Translations (175)

ru о́корок (thigh of a hog cured for food) · ru хамо́н (thigh of a hog cured for food) · ast xamón (thigh and buttock of any animal slaughtered for meat) · mi wāmu (thigh of a hog cured for food) · bg шу́нка (thigh of a hog cured for food) · vi giăm bông (thigh of a hog cured for food) · nb hombot (region back of the knee joint) · he שִׁינְקֵן (thigh of a hog cured for food) · af ham (thigh of a hog cured for food) · nv bisóodi bijáád (thigh of a hog cured for food) · eo poplito (region back of the knee joint) · hu sonka (thigh of a hog cured for food) · grc κωλῆ (thigh of a hog cured for food) · be вяндлі́на (thigh of a hog cured for food) · hil hamon (thigh of a hog cured for food) · et sink (thigh of a hog cured for food) · nn skinke (thigh of a hog cured for food) · xcl թամբ (thigh and buttock of any animal slaughtered for meat) · ja(region back of the knee joint) · be вянглі́на (thigh of a hog cured for food) · grc κωλῆ (thigh and buttock of any animal slaughtered for meat) · nl ham (thigh of a hog cured for food) · war hamon (thigh of a hog cured for food) · ca pernil (thigh of a hog cured for food) · es lunada (thigh and buttock of any animal slaughtered for meat) · mn гуя (thigh and buttock of any animal slaughtered for meat) · bcl hamon (thigh of a hog cured for food) · la perna (thigh of a hog cured for food) · lmo giambón (thigh of a hog cured for food) · grc κωλήν (thigh and buttock of any animal slaughtered for meat) · sh шу̑нка (thigh of a hog cured for food) · yi שינקע (thigh of a hog cured for food) · grc κωλήν (thigh of a hog cured for food) · da hase (region back of the knee joint) · es jamón (thigh and buttock of any animal slaughtered for meat) · gd sliasaid (back of the thigh) · ht janbon (thigh of a hog cured for food) · kk ветчина (thigh of a hog cured for food) · ga liamhás (thigh of a hog cured for food) · gl lunada (thigh and buttock of any animal slaughtered for meat) · nb knesbot (region back of the knee joint) · sl šunka (thigh of a hog cured for food) · hy ապուխտ (thigh of a hog cured for food) · ast pernil (thigh of a hog cured for food) · ca pernil (thigh and buttock of any animal slaughtered for meat) · fi kinnerkoukku (region back of the knee joint) · pt pernil (thigh of a hog cured for food) · da knæhase (region back of the knee joint) · pl szynka (thigh and buttock of any animal slaughtered for meat) · gd hama (thigh of a hog cured for food) · tk skin (thigh of a hog cured for food) · ja ハム (thigh of a hog cured for food) · fr jambon (thigh of a hog cured for food) · ga leis (back of the thigh) · nl hesp (thigh of a hog cured for food) · ast pernil (thigh and buttock of any animal slaughtered for meat) · gd sliasaid (thigh and buttock of any animal slaughtered for meat) · cy ham (thigh of a hog cured for food) · gl xamón (thigh of a hog cured for food) · cmn 火腿 (thigh of a hog cured for food) · uk ву́джениця (thigh of a hog cured for food) · gl zangro (thigh and buttock of any animal slaughtered for meat) · ru о́корок (thigh and buttock of any animal slaughtered for meat) · ga más (back of the thigh) · ru ветчина́ (back of the thigh) · lv šķiņķis (thigh and buttock of any animal slaughtered for meat) · ga más (thigh and buttock of any animal slaughtered for meat) · fo svínstjógv (thigh of a hog cured for food) · ang hamm (region back of the knee joint) · nn knehase (region back of the knee joint) · pt presunto (thigh of a hog cured for food) · ja 膝窩 (region back of the knee joint) · nan-hbl 火腿 (thigh of a hog cured for food) · el χοιρομέρι (thigh of a hog cured for food) · sk šunka (thigh of a hog cured for food) · mfe zanbon (thigh of a hog cured for food) · tl hamon (thigh of a hog cured for food) · grc κώληψ (region back of the knee joint) · uk о́кіст (thigh of a hog cured for food) · mk шунка (thigh of a hog cured for food) · ru ветчина́ (thigh of a hog cured for food) · es jamón (thigh of a hog cured for food) · lt kum̃pis (thigh of a hog cured for food) · de Schinken (thigh and buttock of any animal slaughtered for meat) · pl szynka (back of the thigh) · ru ля́жка (region back of the knee joint) · fa-ira ژامْبون (thigh of a hog cured for food) · pl golonka (region back of the knee joint) · nl knieboog (region back of the knee joint) · es pernil (thigh and buttock of any animal slaughtered for meat) · io poplito (region back of the knee joint) · eo ŝinko (thigh and buttock of any animal slaughtered for meat) · hi हम (thigh of a hog cured for food) · nb skinke (thigh of a hog cured for food) · mk бут (thigh and buttock of any animal slaughtered for meat) · gl xoga (region back of the knee joint) · pt póplite (region back of the knee joint) · lb Ham (thigh of a hog cured for food) · lv šķiņķis (thigh of a hog cured for food) · pl szynka (thigh of a hog cured for food) · kk жамбас (thigh of a hog cured for food) · yi וועטשינאַ (thigh of a hog cured for food) · id ham (thigh of a hog cured for food) · fy hokse (region back of the knee joint) · et sink (thigh and buttock of any animal slaughtered for meat) · gl lacón (thigh of a hog cured for food) · tg ветчина (thigh of a hog cured for food) · ceb hamon (thigh of a hog cured for food) · fo knæsbót (region back of the knee joint) · az vetçina (thigh of a hog cured for food) · lij xambun (thigh of a hog cured for food) · kmr jambon (thigh of a hog cured for food) · uk о́корок (thigh of a hog cured for food) · ja 膝裏 (region back of the knee joint) · fo svínatjógv (thigh of a hog cured for food) · gl pernil (thigh and buttock of any animal slaughtered for meat) · fi paisti (thigh and buttock of any animal slaughtered for meat) · de Schinken (thigh of a hog cured for food) · th แฮม (thigh of a hog cured for food) · mn ташаа (thigh and buttock of any animal slaughtered for meat) · ar هَام (thigh of a hog cured for food) · ro șuncă (thigh of a hog cured for food) · nn hombot (region back of the knee joint) · ast xamón (thigh of a hog cured for food) · ka შაშხი (thigh of a hog cured for food) · yue 火腿 (thigh of a hog cured for food) · lv gurns (region back of the knee joint) · gl xoga (back of the thigh) · gl sofraxe (region back of the knee joint) · gl bestra (back of the thigh) · lij xambon (thigh of a hog cured for food) · cs šunka (thigh of a hog cured for food) · gd sliasaid (region back of the knee joint) · el ζαμπόν (thigh of a hog cured for food) · cs kýta (thigh and buttock of any animal slaughtered for meat) · cy cig moch (thigh of a hog cured for food) · nn knesbot (region back of the knee joint) · mi hamu (thigh of a hog cured for food) · he שִׁינְקֵה (thigh of a hog cured for food) · bg бут (thigh and buttock of any animal slaughtered for meat) · la perna (thigh and buttock of any animal slaughtered for meat) · it prosciutto (thigh of a hog cured for food) · li sjink (thigh of a hog cured for food) · be шы́нка (thigh of a hog cured for food) · grc ἰγνύα (region back of the knee joint) · kw mordhos hogh (thigh of a hog cured for food) · de Kniekehle (region back of the knee joint) · ga ceathrú (back of the thigh) · ky ветчина (thigh of a hog cured for food) · uz goʻshti (thigh of a hog cured for food) · da skinke (thigh of a hog cured for food) · tr jambon (thigh of a hog cured for food) · is skinka (thigh of a hog cured for food) · sh šȗnka (thigh of a hog cured for food) · bg бедро́ (region back of the knee joint) · ga ceathrú (thigh and buttock of any animal slaughtered for meat) · uk ши́нка (thigh of a hog cured for food) · mn утсан мах (thigh of a hog cured for food) · gl sofraxe (back of the thigh) · ko(thigh of a hog cured for food) · tl puwit (thigh and buttock of any animal slaughtered for meat) · fi polvitaive (region back of the knee joint) · fi kinkku (thigh of a hog cured for food) · nb knehase (region back of the knee joint) · twf xomúnenemą (thigh of a hog cured for food) · eo ŝinko (thigh of a hog cured for food) · ru бедро́ (region back of the knee joint) · sw hemu (thigh of a hog cured for food) · sv skinka (thigh of a hog cured for food) · hy ազդրապուխտ (thigh of a hog cured for food) · mt perżuta (thigh of a hog cured for food) · hy խոզապուխտ (thigh of a hog cured for food) · uz vetchina (thigh of a hog cured for food) · la petasō (thigh and buttock of any animal slaughtered for meat) · el ιγνύς (back of the thigh)

wikidata: Q170486

Source: en.wiktionary, “ham” (noun), dump 20260902, contributors via the page history. Text licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

ham en · NOUN · etymology 2

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English ham, from Old English hām.

Meanings

  1. (alt-of, obsolete, uncountable) Obsolete form of home.
    alt of home

Relateds

hamlet

Source: en.wiktionary, “ham” (noun), dump 20260902, contributors via the page history. Text licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

ham en · NOUN · etymology 3

Etymology

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.

Meanings

  1. An overacting or amateurish performer; an actor with an especially showy or exaggerated style.
    • Writing in The New Yorker in 2005, James Wood praised Mr. McCarthy as “a colossally gifted writer” and “one of the great hams of American prose, who delights in producing a histrionic rhetoric that brilliantly ventriloquizes the King James Bible, Shakespearean and Jacobean tragedy, Melville, Conrad, and Faulkner.” 2023 June 13, Dwight Garner, quoting James Wood, “Cormac McCarthy, Novelist of a Darker America, Is Dead at 89”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
  2. An amateur radio operator.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
hams Number=Plur lexicographic

Deriveds

hamese · hamfest · radio ham · ham radio · ham-fisted

Synonyms

radio amateur · overactor · hamfatter · tear-cat · hambone

Translations (36)

ja 大根役者 (actor with an exaggerating style) · ja 大根 (actor with an exaggerating style) · de Schmierenkomödiant (actor with an exaggerating style) · es radioaficionado (ham radio operator) · fr cabotin (actor with an exaggerating style) · cs radioamatér (ham radio operator) · el άσχετος (actor with an exaggerating style) · de Funkamateurin (ham radio operator) · de Amateurfunker (ham radio operator) · ru радиолюби́тель (ham radio operator) · cs radioamatérka (ham radio operator) · ru позёр (actor with an exaggerating style) · el ραδιοερασιτέχνης (ham radio operator) · de Schmierenschauspieler (actor with an exaggerating style) · de Amateurfunkerin (ham radio operator) · pl radioamator (ham radio operator) · fi hamssi (ham radio operator) · es histriónico (actor with an exaggerating style) · ga aisteoir áibhéileach (actor with an exaggerating style) · nl radioamateur (ham radio operator) · it radioamatore (ham radio operator) · pt canastrão (actor with an exaggerating style) · fi radioamatööri (ham radio operator) · es radioamador (ham radio operator) · de Funkamateur (ham radio operator) · es comicastro (actor with an exaggerating style) · eo radioamatoro (ham radio operator) · es comicastro (actor with an exaggerating style) · pl kabotyn (actor with an exaggerating style) · fr radioamateur (ham radio operator) · pt radioamador (ham radio operator) · bg радиолюбител (ham radio operator) · fr cabotine (actor with an exaggerating style) · bg позьор (actor with an exaggerating style) · id amatir radio (ham radio operator) · hu ripacs (actor with an exaggerating style)

Source: en.wiktionary, “ham” (noun), dump 20260902, contributors via the page history. Text licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

ham en · VERB · etymology 3

Etymology

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.

Meanings

  1. To overact; to act with exaggerated emotions.
    • Near-synonym: camp it up

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
hamming Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
hammed Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
hammed Tense=Past lexicographic
hams Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic

Relateds

mug · go ham · pose

Synonyms

overact · camp it up · chew the scenery · tear a cat · ham it up · melodramatize

Translations (5)

es sobreactuar (overact) · de (sich) aufspielen (overact) · fr cabotiner (overact) · fi tunteilla (overact) · cs přehrávat (overact)