chamber

Etymology

From Middle English chambre, borrowed from Old French chambre, from Latin camera, from Ancient Greek καμάρα (kamára, “vaulted chamber”). Doublet of camera.

noun

1. A room or set of rooms
   1. The private room of an individual, especially of someone wealthy or noble.
   2. A bedroom.
   3. The private office of a judge.
   4. The room used for deliberation by a legislature.
   5. (UK) A single law office in a building housing several.
   6. (dated, usually in the plural) Rooms in a lodging house.
2. (obsolete) Ellipsis of chamber pot: a container used for urination and defecation in one's chambers.
   "Jesus Christ! Was my folks refined. My mam she wouldn't think-a lettin' us young'uns call a pee pot a pee pot. A chamber's what she called it... And by God! Us young'uns had ter call the pee pot a chamber or git our God damn necks wrang." 1946, Elizabeth Metzger Howard, Before the Sun Goes Down, page 31
3. (figurative) The legislature or division of the legislature itself.
   The resolution, which speedily passed the Senate, was unable to gain a majority in the lower chamber.
4. Any enclosed space occupying or similar to a room.
   A canal lock chamber; a furnace chamber; a test chamber
5. (biology) An enlarged space in an underground tunnel of a burrowing animal.
6. (firearms) The area holding the ammunition round at the initiation of its discharge.
   Dianne loaded a cartridge into the chamber of the rifle, then prepared to take aim at the target.
7. (firearms) One of the bullet-holding compartments in the cylinder of a revolver.
8. (historical) A short piece of ordnance or cannon which stood on its breech without any carriage, formerly used chiefly for celebrations and theatrical cannonades.
9. One of the two atria or two ventricles of the heart.

verb

1. To enclose in a room.
   She had chambered herself in her room, and wouldn't come out.
2. To reside in or occupy a chamber or chambers.
   I chambered with Alexander Preston. 1893, Publications of the Scottish History Society, volume 14, page 64
3. To place in a chamber, as a round of ammunition.
   The hunter fired at the geese and missed, then shrugged his shoulders and chambered another cartridge.
4. To create or modify a gun to be a specific caliber.
   The rifle was originally chambered for 9mm, but had since been modified for a larger, wildcat caliber.
5. (martial arts) To prepare an offensive, defensive, or counteroffensive action by drawing a limb or weapon to a position where it may be charged with kinetic energy.
   Bob chambered his fist for a blow, but Sheila struck first.
6. (obsolete) To be lascivious.