5  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Sham  \Sham\,  a. 
  False;  counterfeit;  pretended;  feigned;  unreal;  as  a  sham 
  fight. 
 
  They  scorned  the  sham  independence  proffered  to  them  by 
  the  Athenians.  --Jowett 
  Thucyd 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Sham  \Sham\,  v.  t.  [imp.  &  p.  p.  {Shammed};  p.  pr  &  vb  n. 
  {Shamming}.] 
  1.  To  trick;  to  cheat;  to  deceive  or  delude  with  false 
  pretenses. 
 
  Fooled  and  shammed  into  a  conviction.  --L'Estrange. 
 
  2.  To  obtrude  by  fraud  or  imposition.  [R.] 
 
  We  must  have  a  care  that  we  do  not  .  .  .  sham 
  fallacies  upon  the  world  for  current  reason. 
  --L'Estrange. 
 
  3.  To  assume  the  manner  and  character  of  to  imitate;  to  ape; 
  to  feign. 
 
  {To  sham  Abram}  or  {Abraham},  to  feign  sickness;  to  malinger. 
  Hence  a  malingerer  is  called  in  sailors'  cant,  Sham 
  Abram,  or  Sham  Abraham. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Sham  \Sham\,  v.  i. 
  To  make  false  pretenses;  to  deceive;  to  feign;  to  impose. 
 
  Wondering  .  .  .  whether  those  who  lectured  him  were 
  such  fools  as  they  professed  to  be  or  were  only 
  shamming.  --Macaulay. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Sham  \Sham\,  n.  [Originally  the  same  word  as  shame,  hence  a 
  disgrace,  a  trick.  See  {Shame},  n.] 
  1.  That  which  deceives  expectation;  any  trick,  fraud,  or 
  device  that  deludes  and  disappoint;  a  make-believe; 
  delusion;  imposture,  humbug.  ``A  mere  sham.''  --Bp. 
  Stillingfleet 
 
  Believe  who  will  the  solemn  sham,  not  I.  --Addison. 
 
  2.  A  false  front,  or  removable  ornamental  covering. 
 
  {Pillow  sham},  a  covering  to  be  laid  on  a  pillow. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  sham 
  adj  :  adopted  in  order  to  deceive;  "an  assumed  name";  "an  assumed 
  cheerfulness";  "a  fictitious  address";  "fictive 
  sympathy";  "a  pretended  interest";  "a  put-on  childish 
  voice";  "sham  modesty"  [syn:  {assumed},  {false},  {fictitious}, 
  {fictive},  {pretended},  {put  on}] 
  n  1:  something  false;  not  what  it  seems  to  be  [syn:  {fake},  {postiche}] 
  2:  a  person  who  makes  deceitful  pretenses  [syn:  {imposter},  {impostor}, 
  {pretender},  {fake},  {faker},  {fraud},  {pseudo},  {pseud}, 
  {role  player}] 
  v  1:  make  a  pretence  of  "She  assumed  indifference,  even  though 
  she  was  seething  with  anger";  "he  feigned  sleep"  [syn:  {simulate}, 
  {assume},  {feign}] 
  2:  make  believe;  "He  feigned  that  he  was  ill";  "He  shammed  a 
  headache"  [syn:  {feign},  {pretend},  {affect},  {dissemble}] 

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