Etymology 1

Chum is one of the many words of Indian origin, e.g. pyjamas, bungalow, shampoo and chutney that have entered the English language because of the historical involvement of India and the British Empire.

The chummery was the Urdu name given to the building in which unmarried British army officers were quartered.

Noun

1. A friend; a pal.

   I ran into an old chum from school the other day.

2. A roommate.
   • 1856 in The Knickerbocker: Or, New-York Monthly Magazine http://books.google.com/books?vid=LCCN01002996&id=N_dFtyzEqFsC&pg=PA161&lpg=PA161&dq=chum&as_brr=1

     Field had a 'chum,' or room-mate, whose visage was suggestive to the 'Sophs;' it invited experiment; it held out opportunity for their peculiar deviltry.

Verb

1. To share rooms with; to live together.
   • 1899 Clyde Bowman Furst, A Group of Old Authors http://books.google.com/books?vid=OCLC00501560&id=qTQ1ql-_PGIC&pg=PA19&lpg=PA19&dq=chummed&as_brr=1

     Henry Wotton and John Donne began to be friends when, as boys, they chummed together at Oxford, where Donne had gone at the age of twelve years.

2. To make friends with; to socialize.
   • 1902 Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness http://etext.virginia.edu/etcbin/ot2www-pubeng?specfile=/texts/english/modeng/publicsearch/modengpub.o2w&act=text&offset=171546995&textreg=1&query=chummed&id=ConDark

     "I was not surprised to see somebody sitting aft, on the deck, with his legs dangling over the mud. You see I rather chummed with the few mechanics there were in that station, whom the other pilgrims naturally despised -- on account of their imperfect manners, I suppose. This was the foreman -- a boiler-maker by trade -- a good worker...

   • 1902 Ernest William Hornung, The Amateur Cracksman http://etext.virginia.edu/etcbin/ot2www-pubeng?specfile=/texts/english/modeng/publicsearch/modengpub.o2w&act=surround&offset=362005073&tag=Hornung,+Ernest+William:+The+Amateur+Cracksman,+1902&query=chummed&id=HorAmat

     "You'll make yourself disliked on board!"

     "By von Heumann merely."

     "But is that wise when he's the man we've got to diddle?"

     "The wisest thing I ever did. To have chummed up with him would have been fatal -- the common dodge."

3. To accompany.

   I'll chum you down to the shops.

Noun

1. A mixture of (frequently rancid) fish parts and blood, dumped into the water to attract predator fish, such as sharks.

Verb

1. To cast chum into the water to attract fish.
   • 1996 Frank Sargeant, The Reef Fishing Book: A Complete Anglers Guide http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0936513233&id=9ZyJLLmrRYMC&pg=PA78&lpg=PA78&dq=chummed+%2Bcut&sig=bXKQ_8aR776qpzT-2BOIjkfS1mI

     Small live baitfish are effective, and they will take bits of fresh cut fish when chummed strongly.

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Noun

1. A boyfriend (feminine blonde).
2. A friend, usually male; a chum (feminine chum or chum de fille).

Synonyms

petit ami, ami de cœur, fiancé , conjoint copain, ami