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sham

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sham

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

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