Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

sham abraham

/ʃæm ˈeɪ.bɹəˌhæm/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.34 in modern English

Syllables: sham abra-ham
IPA: /ʃæm ˈeɪ.bɹəˌhæm/

23

Scrabble Score

11

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To pretend sickness or insanity.

British usage; Obsolete

Example Sentences

"The boatswain found me, as he said, an obstinate fellow: he swore that I understood my business perfectly well, but that I shammed Abraham merely to be idle."
"Matthew, sceptic and scoffer, had already failed to subscribe a prompt belief in that pain about the heart: he had muttered some words, amongst which the phrase "shamming Abraham" had been very distinctly audible; […]"

Etymology

First use appears c. 1752. From sham + Abraham man (“a beggar who pretends to be ill”)

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ʃæm ˈeɪ.bɹəˌhæm/

Usage

British usage
Obsolete

Inflected Forms

shams Abraham (present, singular) shamming Abraham (participle, present) shammed Abraham (participle, past) shammed Abraham (past) sham Abram (alternative)

Phrases

play possum

Frequently Paired Words

play possum

Synonyms

chuck a sickie do Abram pull a sickie throw a sickie

Questions

How do you pronounce sham abraham?: The recorded pronunciation is /ʃæm ˈeɪ.bɹəˌhæm/.
What does sham abraham mean?: To pretend sickness or insanity.
Where does sham abraham come from?: First use appears c. 1752. From sham + Abraham man (“a beggar who pretends to be ill”)

How to pronounce sham abraham

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “sham abraham”.
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