chamber

1 of 3

noun

cham·​ber ˈchām-bər How to pronounce chamber (audio)
1
: room
especially : bedroom
2
: a natural or artificial enclosed space or cavity
3
a
: a hall for the meetings of a deliberative, legislative, or judicial body
the senate chamber
b
: a room where a judge transacts business
usually used in plural
c
: the reception room of a person of rank or authority
4
a
: a legislative or judicial body
especially : either of the houses of a bicameral legislature
b
: a voluntary board or council
5
a
: the part of the bore of a gun that holds the charge
b
: a compartment in the cartridge cylinder of a revolver
chambered adjective

chamber

2 of 3

verb

chambered; chambering ˈchām-b(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce chamber (audio)

transitive verb

1
: to place in or as if in a chamber : house
2
: to serve as a chamber for
especially : to accommodate in the chamber of a firearm

chamber

3 of 3

adjective

: being, relating to, or performing chamber music

Examples of chamber in a Sentence

Noun If the batteries are not properly installed in the chamber of the remote control, it won't work. There are four chambers in the human heart. We waited for the senator outside the Senate chamber. The U.S. legislature is separated into two chambers: the Senate and the House of Representatives. Verb chambered the lost hikers in the barn until the next morning
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The general counsel for Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear ordered the sheriff accused of gunning down a judge in his chambers to resign by the end of the week or face removal proceedings. Tim Stelloh, NBC News, 26 Sep. 2024 State legislative seats are also on the ballot — but those chambers are extremely likely to remain under Republican control. Tasha Tsiaperas, Axios, 26 Sep. 2024
Verb
Before that, in 1975 a member of the Manson Family cult tried to shoot President Gerald Ford at close range in Sacramento, California but failed to chamber a round into the gun. Josh Meyer, USA TODAY, 14 July 2024 In 1936, Remington beefed up the stock, added the .300 Savage chambering, and renamed it the Model 81 Woodsmaster, a name retained for its eventual replacement, the 740 Woodsmaster. Dave Hurteau, Field & Stream, 4 July 2024
Adjective
And what sort of legislative horse trading will have to happen to make the always-complex inter-chamber politics between the House and Senate work? Brian Amaral, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Apr. 2023 Brennan immediately dictated a note, and a terse exchange of letters on the afternoon of March 27, 1978, sent to the entire conference—all justices receiving a copy—may mark a low point in the history of intra-chamber correspondence at the Supreme Court. J.c. Hallman, The New Republic, 11 June 2020 See all Example Sentences for chamber 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'chamber.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English chambre, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin camera, from Latin, arched roof, from Greek kamara vault

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1568, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1706, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of chamber was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near chamber

Cite this Entry

“Chamber.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chamber. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

chamber

1 of 2 noun
cham·​ber ˈchām-bər How to pronounce chamber (audio)
1
: a room in a house and especially a bedroom
2
: an enclosed space or compartment
the chamber of a pistol
the chambers of the heart
3
a
: a meeting hall of a government body (as an assembly)
b
: a room where a judge conducts business out of court
usually used in plural
4
a
: a group of people organized into a lawmaking body
the lower chamber of the legislature
b
: a board or council of volunteers (as businesspeople)
chambered adjective

chamber

2 of 2 verb
chambered; chambering -b(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce chamber (audio)
: to place or hold in or as if in a chamber
Etymology

Noun

Middle English chambre "chamber," from early French chambre (same meaning), from Latin camera "room, chamber" — related to camera

Medical Definition

chamber

noun
cham·​ber ˈchām-bər How to pronounce chamber (audio)
: an enclosed space within the body of an animal see anterior chamber, posterior chamber, pulp chamber, vitreous chamber

Legal Definition

chamber

noun
cham·​ber
1
: a judge's office
specifically : the private office where a judge carries on business other than court sessions (as conferences or signing papers)
usually used in pl.
four other judges met in my chambers R. H. Bork
a hearing in chambers
2
a
: a hall for the meetings of a deliberative, legislative, or judicial body or assembly
to run back into the House chamberTip O'Neill
b
: a legislative or judicial body : house

More from Merriam-Webster on chamber

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!