chum

¹

[ chuhm ]

noun

1. a close or intimate companion:

   boyhood chums.

2. Older Use. a roommate, as at college.

verb (used without object)

, chummed, chum·ming.

1. to associate closely.
2. Older Use. to share a room or rooms with another, especially in a dormitory at a college or prep school.

chum

²

[ chuhm ]

noun

1. cut or ground bait dumped into the water to attract fish to the area where one is fishing.
2. fish refuse or scraps discarded by a cannery.

verb (used without object)

, chummed, chum·ming.

1. to fish by attracting fish by dumping cut or ground bait into the water.

verb (used with object)

, chummed, chum·ming.

1. to dump chum into (a body of water) so as to attract fish.
2. to lure (fish) with chum:

   They chummed the fish with hamburger.

chum

³

[ chuhm ]

noun

1. chum salmon.

chum

¹

/ tʃʌm /

noun

1. informal.
   a close friend

verb

1. intrusually foll byup with to be or become an intimate friend (of)
2. tr to accompany

   I'll chum you home

chum

²

/ tʃʌm /

noun

1. angling chopped fish, meal, etc, used as groundbait

chum

³

/ tʃʊm /

noun

1. a Pacific salmon, Oncorhynchus keta

Word History and Origins

Origin of chum¹

First recorded in 1675–85; of uncertain origin

Origin of chum²

An Americanism dating back to 1855–60; of uncertain origin

Word History and Origins

Origin of chum¹

C17 (meaning: a person sharing rooms with another): probably shortened from chamber fellow, originally student slang (Oxford); compare crony

Origin of chum²

C19: origin uncertain

Origin of chum³

from Chinook Jargon tsum spots, marks, from Chinook

Example Sentences

However, “Jaws 2” is a masterpiece when compared to the stream of bigscreen chum that followed, mercifully ending with 1987’s “Jaws: The Revenge.”

From Los Angeles Times

Around 350 guests attended Saturday's gathering, though there was no evidence that Mr Verrett's purported A-list American chums were among them.

From BBC

Their work has made “delisting” the chum a worthy goal and serves as an inspiration for other fish recovery efforts in Washington.

From Seattle Times

Those catches are largely consistent with previous research showing that chum and sockeye have more tolerance for cold temperatures than other salmon, allowing them to more easily transition into Arctic waters.

From Science Daily

Inevitably, there is accidental bycatch, such as chum salmon.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• buddy
• comrade
• crony
• playmate