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Ham vs Hen - What's the difference?

ham | hen |

As a noun ham

is haem / heme.

ham

English

(wikipedia ham)

Etymology 1

From (etyl) hamme, from (etyl) . Compare gammon.

Noun

(en noun)
  • (anatomy) The region back of the knee joint; the popliteal space; the hock.
  • (countable) A thigh and buttock of an animal slaughtered for meat.
  • (uncountable) Meat from the thigh of a hog cured for food.
  • a little piece of ham for the cat
  • * (rfdate), Audra Lilly Griffeth, A King's Daughter (ISBN 146915532X):
  • She put some ham in the beans and cut up some sweet potatoes to boil.
  • The back of the thigh.
  • (internet, informal) Electronic mail that is wanted; mail that is not spam or junk mail.
  • Derived terms
    * ham-fisted * hambone * hammy, hamstring

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) .

    Noun

    (-)
  • Usage notes

    * Persists in many old place names, such as (Buckingham).

    References

    *

    Etymology 3

    Shortened from , said to derive from the 1863 minstrel show song The Ham-fat Man . "ham", Online Etymology Dictionary

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An overacting or amateurish performer; an actor with an especially showy or exaggerated style.
  • An amateur radio operator.
  • Synonyms
    * radio amateur (amateur radio operator)

    Verb

  • To overact; to act with exaggerated emotions.
  • Anagrams

    *

    hen

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) henne, heonne, hinne, from earlier henene, heonenen, henen, from (etyl) heonan, hionan, heonane, . See also (l).

    Adverb

    (en adverb)
  • (dialectal) Hence.
  • Etymology 2

    From , or a variant of hench.

    Verb

    (henn)
  • (dialectal) To throw.
  • Etymology 3

    From (etyl), from (etyl) henn, .

    Alternative forms

    * (l) (obsolete)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A female bird.
  • (specifically ) A female chicken, especially one kept for its eggs.
  • * , title=The Mirror and the Lamp
  • , chapter=2 citation , passage=She was a fat, round little woman, richly apparelled in velvet and lace, […]; and the way she laughed, cackling like a hen , the way she talked to the waiters and the maid, […]—all these unexpected phenomena impelled one to hysterical mirth, and made one class her with such immortally ludicrous types as Ally Sloper, the Widow Twankey, or Miss Moucher.}}
  • (slang) A woman.
  • (informal) The woman whose impending marriage is being celebrated at a hen night.
  • Derived terms
    * henbane * hen harrier * hen party * henpecked * mother hen
    See also
    * * broody

    Anagrams

    * * 1000 English basic words ----