chum

¹ American  

[chuhm] / tʃʌm /

noun

1. a close or intimate companion.

   boyhood chums.

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

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verb (used without object)

chummed, chumming

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 American  

[chuhm] / tʃʌm /

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.

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verb (used without object)

chummed, chumming

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

verb (used with object)

chummed, chumming

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 American  

[chuhm] / tʃʌm /

noun

1. chum salmon.

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chum ¹ British  

/ tʃʌm /

noun

1. informal a close friend

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verb

1. to be or become an intimate friend (of)

2. (tr) to accompany

   I'll chum you home

chum ² British  

/ tʃʌm /

noun

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

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chum ³ British  

/ tʃʊm /

noun

1. a Pacific salmon, Oncorhynchus keta

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Etymology

Origin of chum¹

First recorded in 1675–85; of uncertain origin

Origin of chum²

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

Related Words

• buddy
• comrade
• crony
• playmate