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cham·ber

(chāmbər)

1. A room in a house, especially a bedroom.

2. A room where a person of authority, rank, or importance receives visitors.

3. chambers The private office where the judge consults with parties and conducts business not required to be brought in open court.

4. chambers Chiefly British A suite of rooms, especially one used by lawyers.

5. A hall for the meetings of a legislative or other assembly.

6. A legislative or judicial body.

7. A board or council.

8. A place where municipal or state funds are received and held; a treasury.

a. An enclosed space or compartment: the chamber of a pump; a compression chamber.

b. An enclosed space in the body of an organism; a cavity: the four chambers of the heart.

10.

a. A compartment in a firearm, as in the breech of a rifle or the cylinder of a revolver, that holds the cartridge in readiness for firing.

b. An enclosed space in the bore of a gun that holds the charge.

tr.v. cham·bered, cham·ber·ing, cham·bers

1. To put (a round) in the chamber of a firearm.

2. To design or manufacture (a firearm) to hold a specific type of cartridge.

3. To furnish with a chamber or chambers: tombs that were chambered.

[Middle English chaumbre, from Old French chambre, from Late Latin camera, chamber, from Latin, vault, from Greek kamarā.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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