chama

1 of 2

noun (1)

cha·​ma

ˈkāmə

1

Chama : a genus (the type of the family Chamidae) of eulamellibranchiate bivalve mollusks of warm or tropical seas having fixed massive irregular inequivalve shells and comprising the rock oysters and extinct related forms

2

plural -s : a member of the genus Chama : rock oyster

Chama

2 of 2

noun (2)

Cha·​ma

ˈchämə

plural Chama or Chamas

1

a

: a Panoan people of northeastern Peru

b

: a member of such people

called also Chuncho

2

: the language of the Chama people

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

New Latin, from Latin chama, chema cockle, from Greek chēmē; akin to Greek chaskein to yawn, gape, Latin hiare

Noun (2)

Spanish, of American Indian origin

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