A leg, especially a woman's leg (informal); in whaling, a social visit between whale ships at sea.
Possibly from French 'gambe' (leg) or Italian 'gamba' with the same meaning, both from Latin 'gamba.' The whaling sense developed in American maritime terminology, where 'gamming' described the practice of ships meeting at sea to exchange news and socialize.
In the golden age of whaling, a 'gam' was a precious social event where isolated crews could exchange letters, news, and supplies during months-long voyages. These meetings were so important that they're featured prominently in Melville's 'Moby Dick' as vital breaks from the psychological isolation of whaling life.
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