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.
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, v. t. 1.
To shut up, as in a chamber. Shak.
2. To furnish with a chamber; as, to
chamber a gun.
