spam
English meaning: Spam
Definition
(rarely countable) Unsolicited bulk electronic messages.
Example
“I get far too much spam.”
Another example: “Stop spamming the group chat with the same message.”
Usage — When, Where & How
An informal, mostly uncountable noun (and verb) for unwanted bulk emails or messages ('email spam', 'spam folder'). As a verb, to send such messages or flood something. Note: 'Spam' (capitalised) is a brand of tinned meat, the source of the term.
Etymology & Origin
English — Origin & History
From the SPAM brand of tinned meat (a blend of 'spiced ham'), popularised by a 1970 Monty Python sketch; applied to junk email in the 1990s.
Synonyms
- junk mail
- junk
- bulk mail
Related Words
Common Collocations
- email spam
- spam folder
- spam filter
- mark as spam
- spam messages
- get spammed
Word Forms
spam (n); spam (v); spammed; spamming; spammer (n)
Word Tools
Literary Heritage
“To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.”
/To thine own self be true/
“Be honest with yourself — and as naturally as night follows day, you will be unable to be false to others.”
“I'm nobody! Who are you? Are you nobody, too?”
/I'm nobody! Who are you?/
“I am nobody — and that quiet anonymity is more honest than the noise of public fame.”
Images
CC-licensed · free to useVideo
Language information
- Language
- English
- English
- Script
- Latin
- Family
- Indo-European
- Speakers
- 1.5B