ham
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++LDOCE 5++ham1 /hæm/ ●●● S3 noun 1 [countable, uncountable]DF the upper part of a pig’s leg, or the meat from this that has been preserved with salt or smoke 火腿，火腿肉 → gammon a ham sandwich 火腿三明治 a seven-pound ham 七磅重的火腿2. [countable]TCB someone who receives and sends radio messages for fun rather than as their job 业余无线电爱好者3. [countable] informalAPACTOR/ACTRESS an actor who performs with too much false emotion 演技做作的演员，表演过火的演员
Examples from the Corpus
ham• a ham for Easter dinner• On top, place half of cheese and ham.• Bear hams were available from superior dealers in salted provisions.• Thus creating a succulently flavoured ham that goes perfectly with a watercress and avocado salad and a few slices of brown bread.• He gon na give me my ham.• In this case a 101 year old ham, the most ancient in the world.• At Christmas they sent hams and bourbon to the house.• York ham is renowned throughout the world, although other hams are less well known.ham2 verb (hammed, hamming) ham it up informalAPACTOR/ACTRESS to perform with too much false emotion when acting 做作地表演，表演过火→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
ham• For all the kids care he could be Goofy, hamming it up for Mickey Mouse.• Overemphasis, hamming it up, leads to the exaggerations of satire, cartooning, melodrama and farce.Origin ham1 1. Old English hamm2. (1900-2000) Perhaps from amateur3. (1800-1900) ham-fatter “bad actor” ((19-20 centuries)), from the song 'The Ham-fat Man'. the part a or pig’s leg, upper Corpus of the
ham
ham1 /hæm/ 
noun
Origin: hamm
Origin: Perhaps from amateur
Origin: ham-fatter 'bad actor' (19-20 centuries), from the song 'The Ham-fat Man'.1. [uncountable and countable] the upper part of a pig’s leg, or the meat from this that has been preserved with salt or smoke ⇨ gammon:
a ham sandwich
a seven-pound ham
2. [countable] someone who receives and sends radio messages for fun rather than as their job
3. [countable] informal an actor who performs with too much false emotion
ham2 verb (past tense and past participle hammed, present participle hamming)
ham it up informal to perform with too much false emotion when acting
| I |
noun Sense 1
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: hamm
Sense 2
Date: 1900-2000Origin: Perhaps from amateur
Sense 3
Date: 1800-1900Origin: ham-fatter 'bad actor' (19-20 centuries), from the song 'The Ham-fat Man'.
2. [countable] someone who receives and sends radio messages for fun rather than as their job
3. [countable] informal an actor who performs with too much false emotion
| II |
verb (past tense and past participle hammed, present participle hamming)ham it up informal to perform with too much false emotion when acting
