Main Entry:

¹sham

Pronunciation:

\ˈsham\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

perhaps from English dialect sham shame, alteration of English shame

Date:

1677

1 : a trick that deludes : hoax <feared that the deal was a sham> 2 : cheap falseness : hypocrisy <saw through the hollowness, the sham, the silliness of the empty pageant — Oscar Wilde> 3 : an ornamental covering for a pillow 4 : an imitation or counterfeit purporting to be genuine 5 : a person who shams

synonyms see imposture