noun

gam

Gam (noun) means a person's leg, especially a shapely one — a dated, informal usage. Example: “She had a great pair of gams, or so the old detective novel put it.”

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noun

A person's leg, especially a shapely one — a dated, informal usage.

"She had a great pair of gams, or so the old detective novel put it."

"He admired her gams as she stepped off the train."

A pod, or social gathering, of whales (or occasionally porpoises).

"The sailors spotted a gam of whales breaching off the bow."

verb

For a whaling ship to pay a friendly visit to another ship at sea.

"The two whaling crews decided to gam and trade news of their catches."

How to use gam

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishAn old-fashioned slang word for a leg, or (in whaling contexts) a social meetup between ships or a group of whales.

When to use it

The "leg" sense is dated slang, mostly seen in old detective fiction; the whaling senses are specialist/historical.

Common pairings

a nice pair of gams a gam of whales

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C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

Word forms

gammed past tense, gams plural, gams plural, gams singular

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

She had a great pair of _____, or so the old detective novel put it.

Etymology

From Italian gamba, "leg" — the same root that gives us "gammon" and is related to "ham".

Origin: Italian

Frequently asked questions

What does “gam” mean?

The word “gam” means a person's leg, especially a shapely one — a dated, informal usage. In plain terms, an old-fashioned slang word for a leg, or (in whaling contexts) a social meetup between ships or a group of whales.

How do you pronounce “gam”?

“Gam” is pronounced gam (/ɡæm/ in IPA).

How do you use “gam” in a sentence?

Here is “gam” used in a sentence: “She had a great pair of gams, or so the old detective novel put it.”

What part of speech is “gam”?

Depending on how it is used, “gam” can be a noun and a verb.

Where does the word “gam” come from?

The word “gam” comes from Italian. From Italian gamba, "leg" — the same root that gives us "gammon" and is related to "ham".

How many meanings does “gam” have?

“Gam” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a person's leg, especially a shapely one — a dated, informal usage.

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Words with Italian origins