chum

Meanings

Noun

• A friend; a pal.
• A roommate, especially in a college or university.
• A mixture of (frequently rancid) fish parts and blood, dumped into the water as groundbait to attract predator fish, such as sharks
• A coarse mould for holding the clay while being worked on a whirler, lathe or manually.

Verb

• To share rooms with someone; to live together.
• To lodge (somebody) with another person or people.
• To make friends; to socialize.
• To accompany.
• To cast chum into the water to attract fish.

Origin

• 1675–85; of uncertain origin, possibly from cham, shortening of chambermate, or from comrade. Less likely from Welsh cymrawd, compare brawd.
• Originally American English, from the 1850s. Perhaps from Powhatan.