This week's theme: words that have many unrelated meanings.
gammon (GAM-uhn) noun
1. Backgammon.
2. A victory in a backgammon game before the loser has removed any piece.
[Probably from Middle English gamen (game).]
3. A cured or smoked ham.
4. The bottom piece of a side of bacon.
[From Old French gambon (ham), from gambe (leg), from Late Latin gamba
(hoof), from Greek kampe (bend).]
verb tr., intr.
To deceive or to fool.
[Of uncertain origin, perhaps from the game of backgammon.]
Today's word in Visual Thesaurus: http://visualthesaurus.com/?w1=gammon
-Anu Garg (garg wordsmith.org)
"One low-life chats with an old lady, who 'remarked very sapiently that
he would be a-gammoning of her.'"
Lucy Daniel; Repro Literature; Financial Times (London, UK); Jan 27, 2006.
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Pronunciation:
http://wordsmith.org/words/gammon.wav
http://wordsmith.org/words/gammon.ram
Permalink: http://wordsmith.org/words/gammon.html
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