to sham abraham

2 definitions found

to sham abraham - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Sham \Sham\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Shammed; p. pr. & vb. n.
     Shamming.]
     1. To trick; to cheat; to deceive or delude with false
        pretenses.
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              Fooled and shammed into a conviction. --L'Estrange.
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     2. To obtrude by fraud or imposition. [R.]
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              We must have a care that we do not . . . sham
              fallacies upon the world for current reason.
                                                    --L'Estrange.
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     3. To assume the manner and character of; to imitate; to ape;
        to feign.
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     To sham Abram or To sham Abraham, to feign sickness; to
        malinger. Hence a malingerer is called, in sailors' cant,
        Sham Abram, or Sham Abraham.
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  Abraham-man \A"bra*ham-man`\or Abram-man \A"bram-man`\, n.
     [Possibly in allusion to the parable of the beggar Lazarus in
     Luke xvi. --Murray (New Eng. Dict. ).]
     One of a set of vagabonds who formerly roamed through
     England, feigning lunacy for the sake of obtaining alms.
     --Nares.
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     To sham Abraham, to feign sickness. --Goldsmith.
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