gamb

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English

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The canting arms of Gambon on the viewer's right.

Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Middle French gambe (variant of jambe) from Late Latin gamba (hoof, leg, shank). Doublet of jamb, gamba, and gam.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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gamb (plural gambs)

  1. (heraldry) The leg or shank, typically of an animal, especially of a lion, on a coat of arms, crest, etc.
    • 1817, Alexander Deuchar, British Crests: containing the crests and mottos of the families of Great Britain and Ireland; together with those of the principal cities; and a glossary of heraldic terms ... Embellished with nearly fourteen hundred crests, engraved by Robert Kirkwood, from original drawings, by G. Sanders, and J. Grant, page 284:
      Vachell, Eng. a bull's gamb in pale, couped, argent. [] Vaughan of Littleton, Middlesex, a lion's gamb, or, holding a human heart, gules.

Usage notes

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  • Compare jambe, which can refer to a human or animal leg, the former especially if in armor.
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Further reading

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  • “gamb, n.”, in Oxford English Dictionary, 3rd edition, Oxford University Press, 2013 March, retrieved December 2018
  • gamb”, in Merriam Webster, 2018 December (last accessed)