gam

gam
1. noun
a) A persons leg.

Upon getting into a "gam" of whales, this boat, together with that of one of the mates, pulled for a single whale that was seen at a distance from the others, and succeeded in getting square up to their victim unperceived.

b) A collective noun used to refer to a group of whales; a pod.

But what is a Gam? You might wear out your index-finger running up and down the columns of dictionaries, and never find the word, Dr. Johnson never attained to that erudition; Noah Webster’s ark does not hold it. Nevertheless, this same expressive word has now for many years been in constant use among some fifteen thousand true born Yankees. Certainly, it needs a definition, and should be incorporated into the Lexicon. With that view, let me learnedly define it. Gam. NOUN—A social meeting of two (or more) Whaleships, generally on a cruising-ground; when, after exchanging hails, they exchange visits by boats’ crews, the two captains remaining, for the time, on board of one ship, and the two chief mates on the other.

2. verb
To make a social visit on another ship at sea.
Syn: guhndun

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  • -gam — gam·ic; …   English syllables

  • gam — gam·ba; gam·bade; gam·bel; gam·ben; gam·be·son; gam·bet; gam·bette; gam·bia; gam·bi·ae; gam·bi·an; gam·bier; gam·bist; gam·bler; gam·bo; gam·boge; gam·brel; gam·bu·sia; gam·e·lan; gam·e·tan·gial; gam·e·tan·gi·um; gam·e·tog·o·ny; gam·e·toid;… …   English syllables

  • Gam — Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. {{{image}}}   Sigles d une seule lettre   Sigles de deux lettres > Sigles de trois lettres …   Wikipédia en Français

  • GAM — steht für: Galería de Arte Mexicano, Kunstgalerie für moderne mexikanische Kunst in Mexiko Stadt das olympische Länderkürzel für Gambia GAM Holding, ein Schweizer Vermögensverwaltungsunternehmen G.A.M. Holding GmbH, ein deutscher Hersteller von… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Gam — steht für: das olympische Länderkürzel für Gambia acehnische Befreiungsbewegung (acehnisch: Gerakan Aceh Merdeka) Galería de Arte Mexicano, Kunstgalerie für moderne mexikanische Kunst, Mexiko Gruppe Arbeitermacht, eine trotzkistisch orientierte… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Gam — (g[a^]m), v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Gammed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Gam ming}.] (Naut.) (a) To gather in a gam; said of whales. (b) To engage in a gam, or (Local, U. S.) in social intercourse anywhere. [Webster 1913 Suppl.] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Gam — may be:* Gam, Cornwall, a town in southwestern England * Gam (island), an island of Indonesia * Dafydd Gam * The Free Aceh Movement (in Indonesian: Gerakan Aceh Merdeka ) * GAM (group), a Japanese pop group * The title of a villages elected… …   Wikipedia

  • GAM — puede referirse a: GAM, dúo japonés que forma parte de Hello! Project. Gamesa, empresa española cuyo ticker en la Bolsa de Madrid es GAM. General de Alquiler de Maquinaria, compañía española de alquiler de maquinaria. Gustavo A. Madero, una de… …   Wikipedia Español

  • gam´i|ly — gam|y «GAY mee», adjective, gam|i|er, gam|i|est. 1. having a strong taste or smell like the flesh of wild animals or birds, especially when kept until slightly tainted. 2. abounding in game. 3 …   Useful english dictionary

  • gam|y — «GAY mee», adjective, gam|i|er, gam|i|est. 1. having a strong taste or smell like the flesh of wild animals or birds, especially when kept until slightly tainted. 2. abounding in game. 3 …   Useful english dictionary

  • gam — ☆ gam1 [gam ] n. [prob. < Scand, as in Norw, Swed dial. gams, loose conversation < ON gems, akin to GAME1] 1. a social visit 2. a social visit or conversation between the crews of ships, esp. whaling ships, at sea 3. a school of whales vi.… …   English World dictionary

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