Cham"ber , v. t. 1. To
shut up, as
in a chamber. Shak.
2.
To furnish with a chamber; as, to chamber a gun.
Cham"ber (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Chambered (?); p.
pr. & vb. n. Chambering.]
1. To reside in
or occupy a
chamber or chambers.
2. To be lascivious. [Obs.]
Cham"ber (?), n. [F. chambre, fr. L. camera vault, arched roof, in LL. chamber, fr. Gr. &?; anything with a vaulted roof or arched covering; cf. Skr.
kmar to be crooked. Cf. Camber,
Camera, Comrade.]
1. A retired room, esp. an upper room used for sleeping; a bedroom; as,
the house had four chambers.
2. pl. Apartments in a lodging
house. "A bachelor's life in chambers."
Thackeray.
3. A hall, as where a king
gives audience, or a deliberative body or assembly meets; as, presence chamber; senate chamber.
4. A legislative or judicial body; an assembly; a society or association; as, the Chamber of Deputies; the Chamber of Commerce.
5. A compartment or cell; an
inclosed space or cavity; as, the chamber of a canal lock; the chamber of a furnace; the chamber of the eye.
6. pl. (Law.) A room or rooms where a lawyer transacts business;
a room or
rooms where a judge transacts such official business as may be done out of court.
7. A chamber pot. [Colloq.]
8.
(Mil.) (a) That part of
the bore of
a piece of ordnance which holds the charge, esp. when of different diameter from the rest
of the bore;
-- formerly, in guns, made smaller than the bore, but
now larger, esp. in breech-loading guns.
(b) A cavity in a mine, usually of a cubical form, to contain the powder. (c) A short piece of ordnance or cannon, which stood on its breech, without any carriage, formerly used chiefly for rejoicings and theatrical cannonades.
Air chamber. See Air chamber, in the Vocabulary. -- Chamber of commerce, a board or association to protect the interests of commerce, chosen from among the merchants and traders of a
city. -- Chamber council, a secret council.
Shak. -- Chamber counsel or counselor, a counselor who gives his opinion in private, or at his chambers, but does not
advocate causes in court. -- Chamber fellow, a chamber companion; a roommate; a
chum. -- Chamber
hangings, tapestry or
hangings for a chamber. -- Chamber
lye, urine.
Shak. -- Chamber music, vocal or instrumental music adapted to performance in a chamber or
small apartment or audience room, instead of a theater,
concert hall, or church. -- Chamber practice (Law.), the practice of counselors at law, who give their opinions in private, but do not appear in court. -- To sit at chambers, to do business in chambers, as a judge.
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