chamber
    n 1: a natural or artificial enclosed space
    2: an enclosed volume in the body; "the chambers of his heart
       were healthy"
    3: a room where a judge transacts business
    4: a deliberative or legislative or administrative or judicial
       assembly; "the upper chamber is the senate"
    5: a room used primarily for sleeping [syn: bedroom, sleeping
       room, sleeping accommodation, chamber, bedchamber]
    v 1: place in a chamber

Chamber \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.]
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   1. A retired room, esp. an upper room used for sleeping; a
      bedroom; as, the house had four chambers.
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   2. pl. Apartments in a lodging house. "A bachelor's life in
      chambers." --Thackeray.
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   3. A hall, as where a king gives audience, or a deliberative
      body or assembly meets; as, presence chamber; senate
      chamber.
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   4. A legislative or judicial body; an assembly; a society or
      association; as, the Chamber of Deputies; the Chamber of
      Commerce.
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   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.
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   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.
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   7. A chamber pot. [Colloq.]
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   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.
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   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 Chamber 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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Chamber \Cham"ber\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Chambered; p. pr. &
   vb. n. Chambering.]
   1. To reside in or occupy a chamber or chambers.
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   2. To be lascivious. [Obs.]
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Chamber \Cham"ber\, v. t.
   1. To shut up, as in a chamber. --Shak.
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   2. To furnish with a chamber; as, to chamber a gun.
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Chamber
   "on the wall," which the Shunammite prepared for the prophet
   Elisha (2 Kings 4:10), was an upper chamber over the porch
   through the hall toward the street. This was the "guest chamber"
   where entertainments were prepared (Mark 14:14). There were also
   "chambers within chambers" (1 Kings 22:25; 2 Kings 9:2). To
   enter into a chamber is used metaphorically of prayer and
   communion with God (Isa. 26:20). The "chambers of the south"
   (Job 9:9) are probably the constelations of the southern
   hemisphere. The "chambers of imagery", i.e., chambers painted
   with images, as used by Ezekiel (8:12), is an expression
   denoting the vision the prophet had of the abominations
   practised by the Jews in Jerusalem.
   

CHAMBER. A room in a house. 
     2. It was formerly hold that no freehold estate could be had in a 
chamber, but it was afterwards ruled otherwise. When a chamber belongs to 
one person, and the rest of the house with the land is owned by another the 
two estates are considered as two separate but adjoining dwelling house's. 
Co. Litt. 48, b; Bro. Ab. Demand, 20; 4 Mass. 575; 6 N. H. Rep. 555; 9 Pick. 
R. 297; vide 3 Leon. 210; 3 Watts. R. 243. 
     3. By chamber is also understood the place where an assembly is held; 
and, by the use of a figure, the assembly itself is called a chamber.