ham

/hæm/

/hæm/

Other forms: hams; hamed; hamming; hammed

Ham is a type of pork, or meat that comes from a pig. If you order a ham sandwich at a deli, you'll get a pile of thinly-sliced meat between two slices of bread.

Most ham is preserved in some way, either smoked or salted, and traditionally this meat comes from a hog's hind legs. For many people who celebrate Easter, ham is a typical main dish. Ham, defined in the 1630s as "meat from the hind leg of a pig," comes from the Old English hamm, "hollow or bend of the knee." If you're a performer described as a ham, it means your acting is way too theatrical or exaggerated.

Definitions of ham

1. noun

   meat cut from the thigh of a hog (usually smoked)
   synonyms: gammon, jambon

   types:

   Virginia ham

   a lean hickory-smoked ham; has dark red meat

   prosciutto

   Italian salt-cured ham usually sliced paper thin

   type of:

   cut of pork

   cut of meat from a hog or pig
2. noun

   an unskilled actor who overacts
   synonyms: ham actor

   type of:

   actor, histrion, player, role player, thespian

   a theatrical performer
3. verb

   exaggerate one's acting
   synonyms: ham it up, hoke, overact, overplay

   type of:

   act, play, playact, roleplay

   perform on a stage or theater
4. noun

   a licensed amateur radio operator
   type of:

   radio operator

   someone who operates a radio transmitter