flam

1
[ flam ]
See synonyms for flam on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a deception or trick.

  2. a falsehood; lie.

verb (used with or without object),flammed, flam·ming.
  1. to deceive; delude; cheat.

Origin of flam

1
First recorded in 1615–25; short for flimflam

Other definitions for flam (2 of 2)

flam2
[ flam ]

noun
  1. a drumbeat consisting of two notes in quick succession, with the accent on the second.

Origin of flam

2
First recorded in 1790–1800; imitative

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for flam (1 of 2)

flam1

/ (flæm) mainly dialect /


noun
  1. a falsehood, deception, or sham

  2. nonsense; drivel

verbflams, flamming or flammed
  1. (tr) to cheat or deceive

Origin of flam

1
C16: probably short for flimflam

British Dictionary definitions for flam (2 of 2)

flam2

/ (flæm) /


noun
  1. a drumbeat in which both sticks strike the head almost simultaneously but are heard to do so separately

Origin of flam

2
C18: probably imitative of the sound

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012