noun
gam
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.”
noun
1
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."
2
A pod, or social gathering, of whales (or occasionally porpoises).
"The sailors spotted a gam of whales breaching off the bow."
verb
1
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 notesIn 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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Word forms
- Plural
- gams
- Third person singular
- gams
- Past tense
- gammed
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".
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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