Spam meaning in English

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Definition

spam (email): unwanted emails, chain mails, unsolicited emails, junk mail noun
"SPAM" is the brand name of a canned meat which was made popular in countries with a heavy US military presence such as Hawaii, Guam, South Korea and Japan. The term has come to refer to unsolicited, bulk, junk email, perhaps because of the Monty Python sketch in which the word is repeated incessantly.
to spam (someone): to send lots of unsolicited emails to (someone) verb

Examples

  • "SPAM WARNING!"
  • "All I receive is junk or spam from people wanting to enlarge parts of my body that don't even exist."
  • "Susie: Other messages like marriage proposals, wire transfers from Nigerian princes, and absolutely all mails from Philip Cheeter, I mark as SPAM or delete immediately."
Exercise 1
Donna says she receives a lot of "SPAM" in her emails.

What would the average person normally do with this type of "SPAM"?

Again, there may be more than one correct answer!

Donna says she receives a lot of "SPAM" in her emails.

What would the average person normally do with this type of "SPAM"?

Again, there may be more than one correct answer!
This is not the most likely choice. It would be unusual for Donna to "forward" (or transfer) these unwanted emails to her friends.
This is not the most likely choice. SPAM emails are usually sent out in mass by computer programs therefore it is pointless trying to respond.
This is not the most likely choice. It is impossible to eat electronic SPAM! Although the origin of the word comes from the company Hormel SPiced Ham which you can still eat! The term was used to describe unwanted mail sent in mass after the famous Monty Python sketch where the word SPAM is repeated endlessly.
This is not the most likely choice. It is possible to prioritize messages in an inbox by labelling them with different colours (red for urgent, green for personal etc). It would be unlikely for Donna to label unwanted SPAM email as "important".
This is correct. SPAM is unsolicited email, often of a commercial nature, sent indiscriminately to multiple mailing lists, individuals, or newsgroups. It is usually of no interest to the receiver therefore is normally "deleted" or "put in the trash".

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