ham
HAM
Ham (noun) means Meat from the thigh of a pig, cured or cooked for eating. Example: “I'd like a slice of ham and some pickle on my roll.”
noun
1
Meat from the thigh of a pig, cured or cooked for eating.
"I'd like a slice of ham and some pickle on my roll."
"She made a sandwich with ham and mustard."
"They baked a whole ham for the holiday dinner."
2
An amateur radio operator.
"A ham in our village talked to someone on another continent last night."
"Many a ham builds his own antenna in the back garden."
"He got his ham radio license as a teenager."
3
An actor or performer who overacts.
"Everyone laughed at the ham who forgot his lines and then bowed deeply."
"She was a terrible ham on stage but a lovely person off it."
"The old actor was a bit of a ham, milking every scene."
verb
1
To overact or perform with exaggerated emotion.
"The children hammed it up for the school play."
"Stop hamming and just tell the story normally!"
"He hammed it up for the camera."
How to use ham
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishMost often the cured pork you eat, but also slang for an amateur radio enthusiast or a show-off performer.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
ham sandwich
ham radio
ham it up
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Word forms
- Plural
- hams
- Third person singular
- hams
- Past tense
- hammed
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
I'd like a slice of _____ and some pickle on my roll.
Etymology
From Old English hamm, originally meaning the back of the knee, later extended to the thigh and then to the cured meat from it.
Synonyms
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Rhymes for ham
See all rhymes for ham →Frequently asked questions
What does “ham” mean?
The word “ham” means meat from the thigh of a pig, cured or cooked for eating. In plain terms, most often the cured pork you eat, but also slang for an amateur radio enthusiast or a show-off performer.
How do you pronounce “ham”?
“Ham” is pronounced HAM (/ˈhæm/ in IPA).
How do you use “ham” in a sentence?
Here is “ham” used in a sentence: “She made a sandwich with ham and mustard.”
What part of speech is “ham”?
Depending on how it is used, “ham” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “ham” come from?
The word “ham” comes from Old English. From Old English hamm, originally meaning the back of the knee, later extended to the thigh and then to the cured meat from it.
Is “ham” a common word?
“Ham” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.
How many meanings does “ham” have?
“Ham” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: meat from the thigh of a pig, cured or cooked for eating.
What is the difference between ham and gammon?
Both come from the hind leg or thigh of a pig, but ham is sold cured and ready to eat, whether cold or reheated. Gammon is the same cut but is sold raw or lightly cured and must be cooked before serving.
What is the difference between ham and pork?
Pork is the general term for any fresh meat from a pig. Ham refers specifically to meat from the thigh, and it is usually cured or cooked rather than sold raw.
What is the difference between ham and bacon?
Ham is cut from the thigh of the pig, while bacon comes from the belly or back. Ham is typically served as a whole or sliced meat, whereas bacon is cut into thin strips and fried.
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