abram
abram Lexical Profile
abram Game Scores & Validity
• noun
In the Hebrew Bible, the original name of the patriarch Abraham prior to his covenant with God in Genesis 17; also used as a masculine given name.
"According to the Book of Genesis, Abram departed from Ur of the Chaldees with his family to journey toward the land of Canaan."
British (archaic, nautical slang) A malingerer, or a beggar who feigns madness or sickness to avoid work or gain sympathy (especially in the phrase 'to sham Abram').
"The boatswain suspected the sailor of playing the abram to escape his watch on the freezing deck."
• adjective
British (archaic, Thieves' cant) Naked, bare, or stripped of clothing; also, feigning madness to solicit charity.
"In sixteenth-century rogue literature, vagabonds who wandered the streets pretending to be lunatic beggars were described as running abram."
British (obsolete) Auburn or reddish-brown in color, especially in reference to hair or beards in early modern English.
"The Elizabethan stage directions called for the actor to wear an abram beard for the role."
• Rhymes for abram
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
The personal name comes via Latin and Greek from the Hebrew 'Avram', meaning 'exalted father'. The historical English cant and slang senses derive from the biblical beggar Lazarus (referencing Abraham's bosom in Luke 16) and the Abraham ward at Bethlehem Royal Hospital (Bedlam) in London.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.