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Added 29 September 2026

sham

/ˈʃæm/ adjective

adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about sham at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Intended to deceive; false.
It was only a sham wedding: they didn't care much for one another, but wanted their parents to stop hassling them.
Counterfeit; unreal.

noun

A fake; an imitation that purports to be genuine.
The time-share deal was a sham.
Trickery, hoaxing.
A con-man must be skilled in the arts of sham and deceit.
A false front, or removable ornamental covering.

verb

To deceive, cheat, lie.
He shammed a migraine to avoid the exam.
To obtrude by fraud or imposition.
To assume the manner and character of; to imitate; to ape; to feign.

noun

Clipping of champagne.

Origin

Probably a dialectal form of shame. Alternatively, sham is a term that is used to describe the bottom thick base of a glass, usually a wine or stem glass, where the stem meets the bulbous shape bowl. Glass manufacturers would increase the "sham" to deceive customers into thinking a glass holds more than it actually does. For example, a manufacturer would mold a 12oz glass with a larger "sham" in the base to reduce the volume of the glasses to fit 10-11oz of liquid. By increasing the bulge in the base, usually where the stem meets the glass, it is almost impossible to visually distinguish the difference.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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