Chum Was Once a Roommate at Oxford
A chum is a close friend. The word is student slang that probably began as chamber-mate.
A chum is a close friend or companion. It began as seventeenth-century Oxford slang for someone sharing your rooms, and the usual explanation is that it is a clipping of *chamber-mate* — the same pattern that gave *mate* its meaning of companion. From a shared address to a shared affection. A second, unrelated *chum* is bait made from chopped fish, and *chumming* is throwing it into the water to draw sharks.
- A close friend. *An old chum.*
- A roommate (archaic). *My college chum.*
- Fish bait. *Chumming the water.*
- Chummy — friendly. *Chummy.*
- Probably — from *chamber-mate*. *The likely source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | chum | A chum. |
| Plural | chums | Chums. |
| Adjective | chummy | Chummy. |
| Verb | chum | Chumming. |
| Related | mate | A mate. |
- They have been chums since school.Friendship.
- He chummed the water for sharks.Fishing.
- The word began at Oxford.History.
Friendship words from shared living
- Chum — probably a chamber-mate
- Companion — one you share bread with, from Latin *com* and *panis*
- Mate — one who shares meat or a meal
- Comrade — one who shares a room, from Spanish *camarada*
- Roommate — the plain modern version of all of them
Seventeenth-century university slang, probably short for *chamber-mate*. The bait sense is of separate and uncertain origin.
Where does chum come from?
Oxford student slang of the 1600s for someone sharing your rooms, probably shortened from chamber-mate.
What is chumming in fishing?
Throwing chopped fish or bait into the water to attract fish, especially sharks.