I. ˈadəm noun
( -s )
Usage: capitalized
Etymology: after Adam, the first man of the Bible, who sinned in the Garden of Eden (Gen 2 & 3), from Middle English, from Late Latin, from Hebrew Ādhām
: the unregenerate nature of man : human frailty — used especially in the phrase the old Adam
a good deal of the old Adam in the rascal
II. adjective
Usage: often capitalized
Etymology: after Robert Adam died 1792 & James Adam died 1794 Scottish architects and designers
1. of furniture : designed in a late 18th century style resembling Sheraton but differing from it in greater preference for straight lines and decoration of surfaces (as by carving, inlaying, and painting) and in more consistent use of conventional designs (as festooned garlands and medallions) and in occasional employment of superimposed ornaments (as vases and urns)
2. of architecture : in a late 18th century style characterized by an ordered use of classic ornament derived from contemporary archaeological discoveries in Italy