n.
Pronunciation: ' sham
Function: noun
Etymology: perhaps from English dialect sham shame, alteration of English shame
Date: 1677
1 : a trick that deludes : HOAX <feared that the deal was a sham >
2 : cheap falseness : HYPOCRISY <saw through the hollowness, the sham , the silliness of the empty pageant ― Oscar Wilde>
3 : an ornamental covering for a pillow
4 : an imitation or counterfeit purporting to be genuine
5 : a person who shams
synonyms see IMPOSTURE