gammon

Gammon is a term with more than one meaning in English. It can refer to a cut of pork from the hind leg that is cured and often sold as raw or cooked ham, or to a specific outcome in the game of backgammon, where a player wins with the opponent not bearing off any of their checkers.

In cooking contexts, gammon describes the hind leg of a pig that has been cured. In the United Kingdom, it is commonly used to describe a cured joint that is later cooked and served, and the term also appears in names such as gammon steaks. In the United States, the word is less common and “ham” is used more widely for similar cuts. The preparation and presentation of gammon can vary by region, with methods including boiling, roasting, or grilling.

In backgammon, a gammon is a type of win. It occurs when the player bearing off all of their checkers finishes the game before the opponent has borne off any of theirs. A gammon scores twice the stake. If the opponent has not borne off any checkers and still has at least one checker on the board (including the bar or the winner’s home board) when the game ends, the result is sometimes referred to as a backgammon, which can carry three times the stake depending on the rules being used.