chiurm

noun

plural -s

obsolete

: a gang of galley slaves

Word History

Etymology

French & Italian; French chiourme from Italian ciurma, from Latin celeusma, command given by head oarsman so that rowers can keep in time, from Greek keleusma, keleuma command, command given to rowers, from keleuein to command, incite; akin to Greek kellein to land a ship, drive on

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!