Standard Lemma guide

chum

name · noun · verb · 15 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /t͡ʃʌm/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ʌm
  • /t͡ʃuːm/
  • rhymes with -uːm
  • CMU ARPABET: CH AH1 M Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

name

Meaning 1

A surname.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A friend; a pal.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: dated

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: babber, billy, bredrin, bruv, bud, buddo, buddy, butty, chaver, china, chuck, chum, cock, cocker, cobber, compadre, comrade, companion, cove, crony, dawg, dude, duck, fam, fettler, friend, geez, geezer, gink, good old boy, homeskillet, homie, kith, lover, marrow, mate, matey, mucker, old bean, pal, pardner, peeps, punk, shag, sport, surry, tovarish, wantok

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A roommate, especially in a college or university.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: dated

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A mixture of (frequently rancid) fish parts and blood, dumped into the water as groundbait to attract predator fish, such as sharks.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Canada, US, uncountable

Topics: fishing, hobbies, lifestyle

Examples

  • Near-synonym: shark bait

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: shark bait

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A coarse mould for holding the clay while being worked on a whirler, lathe or manually.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: pottery

Examples

  • 1921, A Survey and Analysis of the Pottery Industry, bulletin no. 67, trade and industrial series no. 20, Washington: Federal Board for Vocational Training. Chum,—A mold used on the whirler to hold ware for scraping and finishing.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

Synonym of chum salmon.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: chum salmon

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

A temporary dwelling used by the nomadic Uralic reindeer herders of northwestern Siberia.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

To share rooms with someone; to live together.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

To lodge (somebody) with another person or people.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

verb

Meaning 10

To make friends; to socialize.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: chum up

Antonyms: none provided

11

verb

Meaning 11

To accompany.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Scotland, informal, transitive

Examples

  • I'll chum you down to the shops.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

verb

Meaning 12

To cast chum into the water to attract fish.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: ambitransitive

Topics: fishing, hobbies, lifestyle

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

13

noun

Meaning 13

a large Pacific salmon with small spots on its back; an important food fish

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: chum salmon, Oncorhynchus keta

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: salmon

14

noun

Meaning 14

bait consisting of chopped fish and fish oils that are dumped overboard to attract fish

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: bait, decoy, lure

15

noun

Meaning 15

a close friend who accompanies his buddies in their activities

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: buddy, brother, crony, pal, sidekick

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: friend

Narrower terms: cobber

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Czech.

1675–85; of uncertain origin, possibly from cham, shortening of chambermate, or from comrade. Less likely from Welsh cymrawd (“fellow”), compare brawd (“brother”).

Originally American English, from the 1850s. Perhaps from Powhatan.

From Chinook Jargon tzum (“spotted, marked”), from Chinook.

From Russian чум (čum), from Komi-Zyrian чум (ćum) and/or Udmurt чум (ćum, “tent, shelter”).

Across languages

Translations

47 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: прия́тел (prijátel) — a friend; a pal
  • Catalan: company — a friend; a pal
  • Catalan: camarada — a friend; a pal
  • Czech: kámoš — a friend; a pal
  • German: Kumpel — a friend; a pal
  • German: Freund — a friend; a pal
  • Hungarian: haver — a friend; a pal
  • Hungarian: cimbora — a friend; a pal
  • Hungarian: pajtás — a friend; a pal
  • Hungarian: koma — a friend; a pal
  • Hungarian: barát — a friend; a pal
  • Italian: amico — a friend; a pal
  • Macedonian: ба́тка (bátka) — a friend; a pal
  • Macedonian: при́јател (príjatel) — a friend; a pal
  • Plautdietsch: Schlockat — a friend; a pal
  • Polish: kumpel — a friend; a pal
  • Polish: kumpela — a friend; a pal
  • Russian: прия́тель (prijátelʹ) — a friend; a pal
  • Spanish: amigote — a friend; a pal
  • Spanish: amiguete — a friend; a pal
  • Spanish: compinche — a friend; a pal
  • Spanish: compañero — a friend; a pal
  • Spanish: camarada — a friend; a pal
  • Spanish: amigo — a friend; a pal
  • Bulgarian: съквартира́нт (sǎkvartiránt) — a roommate
  • Danish: slof — a roommate
  • German: Mitbewohner — a roommate
  • Hungarian: szobatárs — a roommate
  • Ido: kunvivanto — a roommate
  • Italian: vicino di stanza — a roommate
  • Italian: compagno di stanza — a roommate
  • Macedonian: ци́мер (címer) — a roommate
  • Polish: współlokator — a roommate
  • Polish: współlokatorka — a roommate
  • Russian: това́рищ m по комнате (po) — a roommate
  • Russian: сожитель (sožitelʹ) — a roommate
  • Greek: μαλάγρα (malágra) — fishy groundbait
  • Japanese: 撒き餌 (makie) — fishy groundbait
  • Polish: chum — fishy groundbait
  • Eastern Khanty: њуки ӄот (njuki ḳot) — housing
  • Northern Khanty: њўки хот (njŭki hot) — housing
  • Komi-Zyrian: чум (ćum) — housing
  • Nganasan: маˮ (maʔ) — housing
  • Polish: czum — housing
  • Russian: чум (čum) — housing
  • Udmurt: чум (ćum) — housing
  • Chinese Mandarin: 打窩 /打窝 (dǎwō) — Translations