Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition

Sham

Sham

(shăm)
,
Noun.
[Originally the same word as
shame
, hence, a disgrace, a trick. See
Shame
,
Noun.
]
1.
That which deceives expectation; any trick, fraud, or device that deludes and disappoints; a make-believe; delusion; imposture; humbug.
“A mere sham.”
Bp. Stillingfleet.
Believe who will the solemn
sham
, not I.
Addison.
2.
A false front, or removable ornamental covering.
Pillow sham
,
a covering to be laid on a pillow.

Sham

,
Adj.
False; counterfeit; pretended; feigned; unreal;
as, a
sham
fight
.
They scorned the
sham
independence proffered to them by the Athenians.
Jowett (Thucyd)

Sham

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Shammed
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Shamming
.]
1.
To trick; to cheat; to deceive or delude with false pretenses.
Fooled and
shammed
into a conviction.
L’Estrange.
2.
To obtrude by fraud or imposition.
[R.]
We must have a care that we do not . . .
sham
fallacies upon the world for current reason.
L'Estrange.
3.
To assume the manner and character of; to imitate; to ape; to feign.
To sham Abram
or
To sham Abraham
,
to feign sickness; to malinger. Hence a malingerer is called, in sailors' cant, Sham Abram, or Sham Abraham.

Sham

,
Verb.
I.
To make false pretenses; to deceive; to feign; to impose.
Wondering . . . whether those who lectured him were such fools as they professed to be, or were only
shamming
.
Macaulay.

Webster 1828 Edition

Sham

SHAM

,
Noun.
That which deceives expectation; any trick, fraud or device that deludes and disappoints; delusion; imposture. [Not an elegant word.]
Believe who will the solemn sham, not I. Addison.

SHAM

,
Adj.
False; counterfeit; pretended; as a sham fight.

SHAM

, v.t.
1. To deceive expectation; to trick to cheat; to delude with false pretenses.
They find themselves fooled and shammed into conviction. [Not elegant.]

Similar Results