chamber
pronunciation
How to pronounce chamber in British English:
UK [ˈtʃeɪmbə(r)]
How to pronounce chamber in American English:
US [ˈtʃeɪmbər]
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- Noun:
- a natural or artificial enclosed space
- an enclosed volume (as the aqueous chamber of the eyeball or the chambers of the heart)
- a room where a judge transacts business
- a deliberative or legislative or administrative or judicial assembly
- a room used primarily for sleeping
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- Verb:
- place in a chamber
Word Origin
- chamber
- chamber: [13] The ultimate source of chamber is Greek kamárā ‘something with an arched cover, room with a vaulted roof’. This passed into Latin as camara or camera (source of English camera), and in Old French became transformed into chambre, the immediate source of the English word. Related forms in English include comrade (from Spanish camarada), originally ‘someone sharing a room’; chamberlain [13], which was originally coined in the West Germanic language of the Franks as *kamerling using the diminutive suffix -ling, and came into English via Old French chamberlenc; and chimney.=> camera, chamberlain, chimney
- chamber (n.)
- c. 1200, "room," usually a private one, from Old French chambre "room, chamber, apartment," also used in combinations to form words for "latrine, privy" (11c.), from Late Latin camera "a chamber, room" (see camera). In anatomy from late 14c.; of machinery from 1769. Gunnery sense is from 1620s. Meaning "legislative body" is from c. 1400. Chamber music (1789) was that meant to be performed in private rooms instead of public halls.
- chamber (v.)
- late 14c., "to restrain," also "to furnish with a chamber" (inplied in chambered, from chamber (n.). Related: Chambering.
Synonym
Example
- 1. The door opens to reveal an execution chamber .
- 2. Then came the terrible boom , magnified in the doughnut-shaped chamber .
- 3. Each chamber has 30 days to vote on such measures .
- 4. I know there are strong views in this chamber about the terrible events of 1915 .
- 5. Yet outside the chamber many members say they want the same things .