Main Entry: sham

Pronunciation: \ˈsham\

Function: adjective

: being a treatment or procedure that is performed as a control and that is similar to but omits a key therapeutic element of the treatment or procedure under investigation <sham surgery, in which doctors make an incision in a patient's knee and manipulate the joint, but don't clean out fluid, debris, and torn cartilage—Liz Kowalczyk> <a sham injection of saline solution>