Adam

Etymology

From Middle English Adam, from Old English Adam, from Latin Adam, Adamus, from Ancient Greek Ἀδάμ (Adám), Ἄδαμος (Ádamos), from Biblical Hebrew אָדָם (adam, “earth, man, soil, light brown”), from אדמה (adamah, “red earth, ground”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈæ.dəm/
  • (General American) IPA^(key): [ˈæɾm̩], [ˈæɾəm]

• Audio (UK):

  (file)

• Homophone: atom (accents with flapping)
• Hyphenation: A‧dam

Proper noun

Adam (plural Adams)

2. (Abrahamism, religion) The first man and the progenitor of the human race.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 3:20:

     And Adam called his wiues name Eue, because she was the mother of all liuing.

   • 1667, John Milton, “Book VII”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 40–43:

     Say Goddeſs, what enſu'd when Raphael, / The affable Arch-angel, had forewarn'd / Adam by dire example to beware / Apoſtaſie,

4. A male given name from Hebrew.
   • 1859, George Eliot [pseudonym; Mary Ann Evans], “The Workshop”, in Adam Bede […], volume I, Edinburgh; London: William Blackwood and Sons, →OCLC, book first, page 3:

     In his tall stalwartness Adam Bede was a Saxon, and justified his name; but the jet-black hair, made the more noticeable by its contrast with the light paper cap, and the keen glance of the dark eyes that shone from under strongly marked, proninent, and mobile eyebrows, indicated a mixture of Celtic blood.

   • 1904, Mark Twain, Extracts from Adam's Diary:

     Since then I have deciphered some more of Adam’s hieroglyphics, and think he has now become sufficiently important as a public character to justify this publication.

   • 1933, Eleanor Farjeon, “Boys' Names”, in Over the Garden Wall, Faber and Faber, page 90:

     What splendid names for boys there are! / There's Carol like a rolling car, / And Martin like a flying bird, / And Adam like the Lord's First Word,

5. (figuratively) Original sin or human frailty.
6. (with second or last) Jesus Christ, whose sacrifice, in Christian theology, makes possible the forgiveness of Adam's original sin.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Corinthians 15:45:

     And so it is written: The first man Adam was made a liuing soule, the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

   • 1739, Charles Wesley, Hark! the Herald Angels Sing:

     Second Adam from above,
     Reinstate us in thy love.

7. Designating a neoclassical style of furniture and architecture in the style of Robert and James Adam.
   • 1936, HP Lovecraft, The Haunter of the Dark:

     Inside were six-panelled doors, wide floor-boards, a curving colonial staircase, white Adam-period mantels, and a rear set of rooms three steps below the general level.

   • 2001, Norman K. Risjord, Representative Americans: The Revolutionary Generation, page 164:

     McIntyre's best pieces, such as the fireplace in the Otis house, managed to convey both an opulent warmth and a restrained elegance, and compares favorably with the artistic saturnalia of an Adam fireplace.

8. An English surname originating as a patronymic.
9. A Scottish surname originating as a patronymic.
10. A French surname originating as a patronymic.
11. A German surname originating as a patronymic.

See also

• Eve
• Wikipedia article on Adam and Eve
• Wikipedia article on original sin
• Edom
• Esau

Anagrams

• A.A.M.D., dama

Etymology

From Latin Adam, Adamus, from Ancient Greek Ἀδάμ (Adám), Ἄδαμος (Ádamos), from Biblical Hebrew אָדָם (adam, “earth, man, soil, light brown”), from אדמה (adamah, “red earth, ground”).

Proper noun

Adam m (definite Adami)

1. a male given name, equivalent to English Adam
2. (religion, Christianity) Adam (biblical figure)
3. (religion, Islam) Adem (“Adam”)

Etymology

From Hebrew אָדָם (adam, “earth, man, soil, light brown”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [əˈðam]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [aˈðam]

Proper noun

Adam m

1. a male given name, equivalent to English Adam
2. Adam (biblical figure)

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈædəm/

Proper noun

Adam

1. Adam (biblical figure)

Etymology

Borrowed from Hebrew אָדָם (adam, “earth, man, soil, light brown”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈadam]

Proper noun

Adam m anim (diminutive Adámek or Damek or Áďa)

1. Adam (biblical figure)
2. a male given name from Hebrew, equivalent to English Adam

Etymology

From Hebrew אָדָם (adam, “earth, man, soil, light brown”).

Proper noun

Adam

1. Adam (biblical figure)
2. a male given name

Etymology

From Middle Dutch Adam, from Latin Ādām, from Ancient Greek Ἀδάμ (Adám), from Hebrew אָדָם (“Adam”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈaː.dɑm/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: Adam

Proper noun

Adam m

1. Adam (Biblical character, mythological first man)
2. a male given name from Hebrew

Etymology

From Hebrew אָדָם (adam, “earth, man, soil, light brown”).

Proper noun

Adam

1. Adam (biblical figure)
2. a male given name

See also

• Xawa

Etymology

Borrowed from Hebrew אָדָם (adam, “earth, man, soil, light brown”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a.dɑ̃/

• Audio (Paris):

  (file)

Proper noun

Adam m

1. Adam (biblical figure)
2. a diminutive of the male given names Adanet, Adenot, Adnet, or Adnot

Anagrams

• dama

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin Adam, from Ancient Greek Ἀδάμ (Adám), from Hebrew אָדָם (ʾāḏām, “man, soil, light brown”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈaːdam/

• Audio:

  (file)

Proper noun

Adam m (proper noun, strong, genitive Adams)

1. (biblical) Adam
2. a male given name; variant form Adi

Etymology

From Arabic آدَم (ʔādam).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔá.dàm/
  • (Standard Kano Hausa) IPA^(key): [ʔá.dàŋ]

Proper noun

Adàm m

1. Adam (biblical character)

Etymology

Borrowed from Hebrew אָדָם (adam, “earth, man, soil, light brown”).

Proper noun

Adam m (proper noun, genitive singular Adams)

1. Adam (biblical figure)
2. a male given name

See also

• Eva

Anagrams

• dama

Etymology

Alteration of MDMA.

Noun

Adam m (invariable)

1. (informal) ecstasy (drug)

Anagrams

• dama

Alternative forms

• Adóm, (Dialectal) Jadam

Etymology

Borrowed from Polish Adam.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈa.dam/
• Rhymes: -adam
• Syllabification: A‧dam

Proper noun

Adam m pers (related adjective adamów or adamòwi)

1. Adam (biblical figure)
2. a male given name, equivalent to English Adam

Further reading

• Eùgeniusz Gòłąbk (2011) “Adam”, in Słownik Polsko-Kaszubski / Słowôrz Pòlskò-Kaszëbsczi‎

Alternative forms

• Ādāmus

Etymology

Borrowed from Ancient Greek Ἀδάμ (Adám), borrowed from Hebrew אָדָם, from א־ד־ם.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈaː.daːm/, [ˈäːd̪äːm]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈa.dam/, [ˈäːd̪äm]

Proper noun

Ādām m sg (indeclinable)

1. Adam (Biblical figure)
2. (New Latin) a male given name, equivalent to English Adam

References

• “Adam”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• Adam in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.

Etymology

From Latin Ādām.

Proper noun

Adam m

1. (Old Lombard) Adam (biblical character)

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic آدم.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [a.dam]
• Rhymes: -dam, -am
• Hyphenation: A‧dam

Proper noun

Adam (Jawi spelling ادم)

2. (Abrahamism, religion) The first man and the progenitor of the human race.
3. A male given name from Arabic.

Further reading

• “Adam” in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu | Malay Literary Reference Centre, Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017.

Etymology

From Sicilian Adamu, Addamu and/or Italian Adamo, both from Latin Ādāmus, from Ancient Greek Ἀδάμ (Adám), from Hebrew אָדָם (āḏām). All religious names (though not all religious words) in Maltese are borrowings from Romance. The inherited form from Arabic آدَم (ʔādam) would be *Iedem, which is preserved in bniedem (“human being”, literally “son of Adam”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aˈdaːm/

• Audio (Gozo):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aːm

Proper noun

Adam m

1. Adam

Etymology

From Old English Adam, from Latin Ādāmus, Ādām, from Ancient Greek Ἀδάμ (Adám), Ἄδαμος (Ádamos), from Biblical Hebrew אָדָם (adam).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aˈdaːm/, /ˈadam/

Proper noun

Adam

1. Adam (Biblical progenitor of humankind).
2. a male given name from Hebrew; Adam
3. (with newe or last) Jesus Christ.

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin Ādām, borrowed from Ancient Greek Ἀδάμ (Adám), borrowed from Hebrew אָדָם, from א־ד־ם.

Proper noun

Adam m

1. a male given name
2. (Abrahamism, biblical) Adam

References

• Benecke, Georg Friedrich, Müller, Wilhelm, Zarncke, Friedrich (1863) “Adam”, in Mittelhochdeutsches Wörterbuch: mit Benutzung des Nachlasses von Benecke, Stuttgart: S. Hirzel
• "Adam" in Köbler, Gerhard, Mittelhochdeutsches Wörterbuch (3rd edition 2014)

Etymology

From Hebrew אָדָם (adam, “earth, man, soil, light brown”).

Proper noun

Adam

1. Adam (biblical figure)
2. a male given name

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin Ādām, borrowed from Ancient Greek Ἀδάμ (Adám), borrowed from Hebrew אָדָם, from א־ד־ם.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɑ.dɑm/

Proper noun

Adam m

1. Adam (Biblical character)

Etymology

From Hebrew אָדָם (adam, “earth, man, soil, light brown”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈa.dam/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -adam
• Syllabification: A‧dam

Proper noun

Adam m pers (diminutive Adaś)

1. Adam (biblical figure)
2. a male given name, equivalent to English Adam

Further reading

• Adam in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Etymology

Borrowed from Old Church Slavonic Адамъ (Adamŭ).

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Proper noun

Adam m

1. a male given name
2. a surname
3. A village in Drăgușeni, Galați, Romania

Etymology

From Middle English Adam, from Latin Ādāmus, Ādām, from Ancient Greek Ἀδάμ (Adám).

Proper noun

Adam

1. Adam (biblical figure)

References

• “Adam, prop.n.”, in The Dictionary of the Scots Language, Edinburgh: Scottish Language Dictionaries, 2004–present, →OCLC.

Etymology

From Hebrew אָדָם (adam, “earth, man, soil, light brown”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ǎdam/
• Hyphenation: A‧dam

Proper noun

Àdam m (Cyrillic spelling А̀дам)

1. Adam (biblical figure)
2. a male given name

See also

• Adem

Further reading

• “Adam”, in Portal suvremenih hrvatskih osobnih imena [Portal of contemporary Croatian personal names] (in Serbo-Croatian), 2018–2025

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈadam]

Proper noun

Adam m pers

1. Adam (biblical figure)
2. a male given name

Further reading

• “Adam”, in Slovníkový portál Jazykovedného ústavu Ľ. Štúra SAV [Dictionary portal of the Ľ. Štúr Institute of Linguistics, Slovak Academy of Science] (in Slovak), https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk, 2003–2025

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aˈdam/ [aˈð̞ãm]
• Rhymes: -am
• Syllabification: A‧dam

Proper noun

Adam m

1. Archaic form of Adán (“biblical figure”).
   • 1602, La Santa Biblia (antigua versión de Casiodoro de Reina), Génesis 2:20:

     Y puso Adam nombres á toda bestia y ave de los cielos y á todoanimal del campo.

     And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; […] (KJV)

Etymology

From Hebrew אָדָם (adam, “earth, man, soil, light brown”).

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Interjection

Adam

1. The letter "A" in the Swedish spelling alphabet

Proper noun

Adam c (genitive Adams)

1. Adam (biblical figure)
2. a male given name. Pet form: Adde

Etymology

From English Adam.

Proper noun

Adam

1. Adam
   • 1989, Buk Baibel long Tok Pisin, Port Moresby: Bible Society of Papua New Guinea, Jenesis 2:20:

     Tasol i no gat wanpela bilong ol dispela samting inap i stap poroman bilong helpim Adam.

     →New International Version translation

Etymology

From Arabic آدَم (ʔādam).

Proper noun

Adam

1. a male given name from Arabic, less common variant of Adem

Alternative forms

• Adan

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a.ˈdam/

Proper noun

Adam

1. (biblical) Adam
2. a male given name, equivalent to English Adam