Emily Dickinson Lexicon

CHAM'BER, n. [Fr. chambre; Arm. campr, cambr; It. camera; Port. Sp. camara; L. camera; Gr. καμαρα, an arched roof, vault or upper gallery, a chamber; D. kamer; G. kammer; Sw. kammare; Dan. kammer; Ch. קמר to arch; Eth. ቀመረ kamare, an arch or vault.]

1. An apartment in an upper story, or in a story above the lower floor of a dwelling house, often used as a lodging room.
2. Any retired room; any private apartment which a person occupies; as, he called on the judge at his chamber. Joseph entered into his chamber and wept. – Gen. xliii.
3. Any retired place. Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death. – Prov. vii.
4. A hollow or cavity; as, the chamber of the eye. – Sharp.
5. A place where an assembly meets, and the assembly itself; as, star-chamber; imperial chamber; chamber of accounts; ecclesiastical chamber; privy chamber; chamber of commerce, &c.
6. In military affairs, the chamber of a mortar is that part of the chase where the powder lies.
7. A powder-chamber, or bomb-chamber, a place under ground for holding powder and bombs, where they may be safe and secured from rains.
8. The chamber of a mine, a place, generally of a cubical form, where the powder is confined.
9. A species of ordnance. Qu. – Camden.
10. The clouds. – Ps. civ.
11. Certain southern constellations, which are hid from us. The chambers of the south. – Job ix. Chamber-council, a private or secret council. – Shak. Chamber-counsel, a counselor who gives his opinion in a private apartment, but does not advocate causes in court.