# chamber

/ˈtʃeɪmbɝ/ (US) · /tʃˈeɪmbɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/chamber
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. a room

noun · CEFR B2 · Literary

a room, especially a bedroom or a private space.

For teachers: a private room or apartment, particularly a bedroom. Often used in historical or literary contexts.

- The queen retired to her private chamber to rest after the long ceremony.
- The poet described a lonely figure pacing within a cold stone chamber, lit only by the flickering remains of a dying fire.

### 2. legislative hall

noun · CEFR B2 · Formal

a large room where a group of people, like a government, meets to make laws.

For teachers: a hall used for the meetings of a legislative or judicial body; also refers to the body itself.

- The members of parliament gathered in the debating chamber to discuss the new law.
- The upper chamber of the legislature voted to delay the bill, citing concerns over its long-term economic impact on rural communities.

### 3. anatomical cavity

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

an enclosed space inside the body, such as one of the parts of the heart.

For teachers: a natural or anatomical cavity, such as the atria or ventricles of the heart.

- The human heart has four chambers that pump blood to the rest of the body.
- The ultrasound revealed a slight abnormality in the left chamber of the heart, requiring further diagnostic testing.

### 4. mechanical compartment

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a small space in a machine or weapon, like the part of a gun that holds a bullet.

For teachers: an enclosed space in a machine or instrument, specifically the part of a firearm that holds the cartridge.

- He checked the chamber of the rifle to make sure it was empty before cleaning it.
- The engineer designed a pressurized chamber to test how the new sensors would perform under extreme underwater conditions.

### 5. to load a weapon

verb · CEFR C2 · Technical

to put a bullet into the part of a gun where it is ready to be fired.

For teachers: to move a round of ammunition into the chamber of a firearm.

- The soldier quickly chambered a round as he heard a noise in the bushes.
- The instructor demonstrated how to safely chamber a round while maintaining proper muzzle discipline at the firing range.

Usage: The verb is transitive and requires a direct object, typically 'a round' or 'a bullet'.

## Examples

- The heart has four chambers that pump blood.
- The committee met in a private chamber to discuss the sensitive legal documents away from the public.
- The archaeologists discovered a hidden burial chamber deep within the pyramid, containing artifacts that had remained untouched for over three millennia.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.