chamber

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Contents

English [edit]

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Alternative forms [edit]

Etymology [edit]

From French chambre, from Latin camera, from Ancient Greek καμάρα (kamara, “vaulted chamber”).

Pronunciation [edit]

Noun [edit]

chamber (plural chambers)

  1. A room, especially one used primarily for sleeping; bedroom, sleeping room.
    • 1845, Edgar Allen Poe, The Raven,
      Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
      Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
      While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
      As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
  2. An enclosed space. For example, a test chamber is typically a closable case where devices under test are placed.
  3. In a firearm, this is the portion of the weapon that holds the ammunition round immediately prior to (and during initiation of) its discharge.
    Dianne loaded a cartridge into the chamber of the rifle, then prepared to take aim at the target.
  4. One of the legislative bodies in a government where multiple such bodies exist, or a single such body in comparison to others.
    The resolution, which speedily passed the Senate, was unable to gain a majority in the lower chamber.

Translations [edit]

bedroom
enclosed space
part of a firearm holding the round before firing
legislative body
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked

Related terms [edit]

Verb [edit]

chamber (third-person singular simple present chambers, present participle chambering, simple past and past participle chambered)

  1. To enclose in a room.
    She had chambered herself in her room, and wouldn't come out.
  2. To place in a chamber, as a round of ammunition.
    The hunter fired at the geese and missed, then shrugged his shoulders and chambered another cartridge.
  3. To create or modify a gun to be a specific caliber.
    The rifle was originally chambered for 9MM, but had since been modified for a larger, wildcat caliber.
  4. In martial arts, to prepare an offensive, defensive, or counteroffensive action by drawing a limb or weapon to a position where it may be charged with kinetic energy.
    Bob chambered his fist for a blow, but Sheila struck first.

Anagrams [edit]

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