spam

See also: Spam and SPAM

English

Alternative forms

Spam, SPAM

Etymology

The original sense (canned ham) is a proprietary name registered by Geo. A. Hormel & Co. in U.S., 1937. It is presumed to be a conflation of either "spiced ham" or "shoulder of pork and ham"[1] but was soon extended to other kinds of canned meat. Hormel spells the trademarked name in all upper case.

The use for unsolicited and unwanted email derives from a Monty Python sketch (Flying Circus, Episode 25). In the 1970 sketch, a group of Vikings in a restaurant repeatedly chant the word "spam". The earliest recorded real-life use for this sense occurs around 1993 which finds reference in an email dated March 31, 1993.

The term appears to have been used earlier in a different sense in relation to "Multi-User Dungeons" (MUDs), a kind of multi-user computer gaming environment before widespread use of the Internet, in the 1980s.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈspæm/
Audio (UK) (file)
also (æ-tensing) IPA^(key): [ˈspeəm]
Rhymes: -æm

Noun

spam (countable and uncountable, plural spams)

sense 4

(uncountable, rarely countable, computing, Internet) Unsolicited bulk electronic messages.
Synonym: junk mail
Antonym: ham
- 2013 May 25, “No hiding place”, in The Economist‎, volume 407, number 8837, page 74:
  In America alone, people spent $170 billion on “direct marketing”—junk mail of both the physical and electronic varieties—last year. Yet of those who received unsolicited adverts through the post, only 3% bought anything as a result. If the bumf arrived electronically, the take-up rate was 0.1%. And for online adverts the “conversion” into sales was a minuscule 0.01%. That means about $165 billion was spent not on drumming up business, but on annoying people, creating landfill and cluttering spam filters.
I get far too much spam.
I received 58 spams yesterday.
(uncountable, computing, Internet) Any undesired electronic content automatically generated for commercial purposes.
- Long title, Spam Control Act (Cap. 311A, R. Ed. 2008)
  An Act to provide for the control of spam, which is unsolicited commercial communications sent in bulk by electronic mail or by text or multi-media messaging to mobile telephone numbers, and to provide for matters connected therewith.
(slang, Internet) Ellipsis of spam account.
A type of tinned meat made mainly from ham.

Hyponyms

Hyponyms of spam

blog spam
e-mail spam/email spam
log spam
messaging spam
mobile phone spam
newsgroup spam
referer spam
social networking spam
social spam

Meronyms

e-mail, email

Derived terms

spambot
spamdexing
spam in a can
spammer
spamming
spammy
spamvertising

Translations

unsolicited bulk electronic messages

Arabic: بَيَانٌ مُزْعِج‎ m (bayānun muzʿij), سُخَام‎ m (suḵām)
Armenian: լցոն (hy) (lcʿon)
Bulgarian: спам m (spam)
Catalan: correu brossa m
Chinese:
Mandarin: 垃圾郵件／垃圾邮件 (zh) (lājī yóujiàn), 垃圾信 (lājīxìn)
Czech: spam (cs) m
Danish: spam
Dutch: spam (nl) m, ongewenste elektronische post f, spamboodschap f, ongewenste mail m
Esperanto: spamo (eo), trudaĵo
Estonian: spämm
Faroese: spamm n
Finnish: roskaposti (fi), spämmi (fi)
French: spam (fr) m, pourriel (fr) m, courriel indésirable (fr) m, courrier indésirable (fr) m
German: Spam (de) m, unerwünschte elektronische Massenpost f
Hebrew: דואר זבל‎ (he) m (do'ar zevel), ספאם‎ (he) m (spam)
Hindi: स्पैम (spaim)
Hungarian: szpem
Icelandic: ruslpóstur m
Ido: mesajacho (io)
Interlingua: spam
Irish: turscar m
Italian: spam (it) m
Japanese: スパム (supamu), 迷惑メール (meiwaku-mēru)
Korean: 스팸 (seupaem)
Latvian: mēstule (lv) f
Lithuanian: brukalas, šlamštas
Macedonian: спам (spam)
Marathi: स्पॅम m (spĕm)
Norwegian: søppelpost m
Polish: spam (pl) m
Portuguese: spam (pt) m, lixo eletrônico m
Russian: спам (ru) m (spam), нежела́тельная по́чта f (neželátelʹnaja póčta)
Serbo-Croatian:
Roman: neželjena pošta f
Spanish: correo basura (es) m, correo no deseado m
Swedish: spam (sv) n, skräppost (sv) c
Thai: สแปม (s̄pæm)
Turkish: spam (tr), yığın mesaj

undesired electronic content

Catalan: contingut brossa
Finnish: roskaposti (fi), spämmi (fi)

tinned meat

Chinese:
Mandarin: 午餐肉 (zh) (wǔcānròu)
Finnish: nötkötti (fi)
German: Frühstücksfleisch (de) n
Hebrew: לוּף‎ (he) m (luf)
Japanese: スパム
Korean: 스팸 (seupaem)
Marathi: स्पॅम n (spĕm)
Navajo: Bilagáana bikʼos, atsįʼ yikʼáni, atsįʼ béé átʼáhí
Russian: тушёнка (ru) f (tušónka)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

Turkish: ^{(please verify)} istenmeyen yığın ileti (or ^{(please verify)} İYİ for short in computing), ^{(please verify)} çöp ileti, ^{(please verify)} sürü ileti

Verb

spam (third-person singular simple present spams, present participle spamming, simple past and past participle spammed)

(intransitive, computing, Internet) To send spam (i.e. unsolicited electronic messages.)
(transitive, computing, Internet) To send spam (i.e. unsolicited electronic messages) to a person or entity.
(transitive, by extension, video games) To do something rapidly and repeatedly.
Stop spamming that special attack!
Spam this button to get a speed boost.
(transitive, intransitive, computing, Internet) To post the same text repeatedly with disruptive effect; to flood.

Translations

intransitive

Czech: spamovat
Esperanto: rubleteri
Estonian: spämmima
Faroese: spamma
Finnish: roskapostittaa (fi), spämmätä (fi)
French: spammer (fr), pourrieller (fr)
German: spammen
Interlingua: spammar
Italian: spammare
Maori: hītini
Norwegian: sende søppelpost
Portuguese: spamear, spammar
Russian: спа́мить (ru) (spámitʹ)
Swedish: spamma (sv)

transitive

Estonian: spämmima
Faroese: spamma
Finnish: roskapostittaa (fi), spämmätä (fi)
Maori: hītini
Norwegian: sende søppelpost
Russian: спа́мить (ru) (spámitʹ), спа́ммить (spámmitʹ)

References

“What does the SPAM brand name mean?”, in (please provide the title of the work)‎, accessed 6 July 2013, archived from the original on 2013-10-14

Anagrams

AMPS, APMs, MAPs, MPAs, amps, maps, pams, sAMP, samp

Danish

Etymology 1

Borrowed from English spam.

Noun

spam (genitive spams)

(computing, Internet) Spam.

Etymology 2

See spamme.

Verb

spam

imperative of spamme

Dutch

Pronunciation

(Belgium) IPA^(key): /spɑm/
(Netherlands) IPA^(key): /spɛm/
Audio (file)
Hyphenation: spam

Etymology 1

Borrowed from English spam.

Noun

spam m (uncountable)

spam (undesired electronic content)

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

spam

first-person singular present indicative of spammen
imperative of spammen

French

Etymology

Borrowed from English spam.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /spam/
Audio (file)

Noun

spam m (plural spams)

spam (meat)
(computing, Internet) spam

Synonyms

(unsolicited email): pourriel, courriel indésirable

Hungarian

Etymology

Borrowed from English spam.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ˈspɛm]
Rhymes: -ɛm

Noun

spam (plural spamek)

(computing, Internet) spam

Declension

Inflection (stem in -e-, front unrounded harmony)
	singular	plural
nominative	spam	spamek
accusative	spamet	spameket
dative	spamnek	spameknek
instrumental	spammel	spamekkel
causal-final	spamért	spamekért
translative	spammé	spamekké
terminative	spamig	spamekig
essive-formal	spamként	spamekként
essive-modal	—	—
inessive	spamben	spamekben
superessive	spamen	spameken
adessive	spamnél	spameknél
illative	spambe	spamekbe
sublative	spamre	spamekre
allative	spamhez	spamekhez
elative	spamből	spamekből
delative	spamről	spamekről
ablative	spamtől	spamektől
non-attributive possessive - singular	spamé	spameké
non-attributive possessive - plural	spaméi	spamekéi

Possessive forms of spam
possessor	single possession	multiple possessions
1st person sing.	spamem	spameim
2nd person sing.	spamed	spameid
3rd person sing.	spame	spamei
1st person plural	spamünk	spameink
2nd person plural	spametek	spameitek
3rd person plural	spamük	spameik

Interlingua

Noun

spam (plural spams)

(computing, Internet) spam

Italian

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English spam.

Noun

spam m (invariable)

(Internet) spam

Related terms

spamming

Polish

Etymology

Borrowed from English spam.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /spam/
Audio (file)
Rhymes: -am
Syllabification: spam

Noun

spam m inan

(computing, Internet) spam (unsolicited bulk electronic messages)

Declension

Declension of spam

	singular
nominative	spam
genitive	spamu
dative	spamowi
accusative	spam
instrumental	spamem
locative	spamie
vocative	spamie

Derived terms

verb

spamować

Related terms

noun

spamer

Portuguese

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English spam.

Noun

spam m (uncountable)

(computing, Internet) spam

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from English spam.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈspam/
Rhymes: -am

Noun

spam n (plural spamuri)

(computing, Internet) spam

Declension

Declension of spam

	singular		plural
	indefinite articulation	definite articulation	indefinite articulation	definite articulation
nominative/accusative	(un) spam	spamul	(niște) spamuri	spamurile
genitive/dative	(unui) spam	spamului	(unor) spamuri	spamurilor
vocative	spamule		spamurilor

Slovene

Etymology

Borrowed from English spam.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /spɛ́ːm/

Noun

spȃm m inan

(Internet) spam (unwanted messages)

Alternative forms

spȇm

Spanish

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English spam.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈspam/ [ˈspãm], /esˈpam/ [esˈpãm]
Rhymes: -am
Syllabification: spam

Noun

spam m (plural spams)

(computing) spam

Usage notes

According to Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) prescriptions, unadapted foreign words should be written in italics in a text printed in roman type, and vice versa, and in quotation marks in a manuscript text or when italics are not available. In practice, this RAE prescription is not always followed.

Swedish

Etymology

Borrowed from English spam. Earliest attested in 1997.

Noun

spam n

(uncountable) spam (unsolicited electronic messages)

Declension

This noun needs an inflection-table template.

Synonyms

skräppost

Derived terms

spammare
spamfilter

References

spam in Svensk ordbok (SO)

Turkish

Etymology

Borrowed from English spam.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [spam]
Hyphenation: spam

Noun

spam (definite accusative spamı, plural spamlar)

(computing, Internet) spam

Usage notes

As the word starts with two consonants, some Turkish people will have difficulties to spell it correctly. It may be spelled also sıpam.

Declension

Inflection

Nominative

spam

Definite accusative

spamı

Singular

Plural

Nominative

spam

spamlar

Definite accusative

spamı

spamları

Dative

spama

spamlara

Locative

spamda

spamlarda

Ablative

spamdan

spamlardan

Genitive

spamın

spamların

Possessive forms
Nominative
	Singular	Plural
1st singular	spamım	spamlarım
2nd singular	spamın	spamların
3rd singular	spamı	spamları
1st plural	spamımız	spamlarımız
2nd plural	spamınız	spamlarınız
3rd plural	spamları	spamları
Definite accusative
	Singular	Plural
1st singular	spamımı	spamlarımı
2nd singular	spamını	spamlarını
3rd singular	spamını	spamlarını
1st plural	spamımızı	spamlarımızı
2nd plural	spamınızı	spamlarınızı
3rd plural	spamlarını	spamlarını
Dative
	Singular	Plural
1st singular	spamıma	spamlarıma
2nd singular	spamına	spamlarına
3rd singular	spamına	spamlarına
1st plural	spamımıza	spamlarımıza
2nd plural	spamınıza	spamlarınıza
3rd plural	spamlarına	spamlarına
Locative
	Singular	Plural
1st singular	spamımda	spamlarımda
2nd singular	spamında	spamlarında
3rd singular	spamında	spamlarında
1st plural	spamımızda	spamlarımızda
2nd plural	spamınızda	spamlarınızda
3rd plural	spamlarında	spamlarında
Ablative
	Singular	Plural
1st singular	spamımdan	spamlarımdan
2nd singular	spamından	spamlarından
3rd singular	spamından	spamlarından
1st plural	spamımızdan	spamlarımızdan
2nd plural	spamınızdan	spamlarınızdan
3rd plural	spamlarından	spamlarından
Genitive
	Singular	Plural
1st singular	spamımın	spamlarımın
2nd singular	spamının	spamlarının
3rd singular	spamının	spamlarının
1st plural	spamımızın	spamlarımızın
2nd plural	spamınızın	spamlarınızın
3rd plural	spamlarının	spamlarının

Synonyms

yığın mesaj

Vietnamese

Etymology

Borrowed from English spam.

Pronunciation

(Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [spam˧˧]
(Huế) IPA^(key): [spam˧˧]
(Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [spam˧˧]
Phonetic: xpăm

Noun

spam

(computing, Internet) spam

[1] “What does the SPAM brand name mean?”, in (please provide the title of the work)‎, accessed 6 July 2013, archived from the original on 2013-10-14

spam

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Hyponyms

Meronyms

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

Translations

See also

References

Anagrams

Danish

Etymology 1

Noun

Etymology 2

Verb

Dutch

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

Noun

Etymology 2

Verb

French

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Synonyms

Hungarian

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Declension

Interlingua

Noun

Italian

Etymology

Noun

Related terms

Polish

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Declension

Derived terms

Related terms

Further reading

Portuguese

Etymology

Noun

Romanian

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Declension

Slovene

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Alternative forms

Spanish

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Usage notes

Further reading

Swedish

Etymology

Noun

Declension

Synonyms

Derived terms

References

Turkish

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun