Main Entry: ¹sham

Pronunciation: \ˈsham\

Function: noun

Etymology: perhaps from English dial. 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