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.
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.Sham, a. False; counterfeit;
pretended; feigned; unreal; as, a sham fight.
They scorned the sham independence proffered to
them by the Athenians.
Jowett (Thucyd)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.