ream

See also: Ream and réam

English

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɹiːm/
  • (file)
  • Homophone: rheme
  • Rhymes: -iːm
  • (file)

Etymology 1

From Middle English reme, rem, from Old English rēam (cream), from Proto-Germanic *raumaz (cream), from Proto-Indo-European *rewgʰmn̥- (to sour [milk]). Cognate with Dutch room (cream, sour cream), German Rahm (cream), Norwegian rømme (sour cream), Icelandic rjómi (cream). See also ramekin.

Alternative forms

Noun

ream (plural reams)

  1. (Britain dialectal, Northern England, Scotland) Cream; also, the creamlike froth on ale or other liquor; froth or foam in general.

Verb

ream (third-person singular simple present reams, present participle reaming, simple past and past participle reamed)

  1. (Britain dialectal, Northern England, Scotland) To cream; mantle; foam; froth.
    • Sir Walter Scott
      a huge pewter measuring pot which, in the language of the hostess, reamed with excellent claret

Etymology 2

From Middle English remen, rimen, rümen (to open up), from Old English rȳman (to make roomy, extend, widen, spread, enlarge, amplify, prolong, clear, open up, make clear by removing obstructions, to clear a way), from Proto-Germanic *rūmijaną (to make roomy, give room, remove), from Proto-Indo-European *row- (free space). Cognate with Dutch ruimen (to empty, evacuate), German räumen (to make room), Icelandic rýma (to make room, clear). More at room.

Alternative forms

Verb

ream (third-person singular simple present reams, present participle reaming, simple past and past participle reamed)

  1. To enlarge a hole, especially using a reamer; to bore a hole wider.
  2. To shape or form, especially using a reamer.
  3. To remove (material) by reaming.
  4. To remove burrs and debris from a freshly bored hole.
  5. (slang) To yell at or berate.
  6. (slang, vulgar) To sexually penetrate in a rough and painful way, by analogy with definition 1.
Translations

Etymology 3

From Middle English reme, from Old French raime, rayme (ream) (French rame), from Arabic رِزْمَة (rizma, bundle).

Alternative forms

Noun

ream (plural reams)

  1. A bundle, package, or quantity of paper, nowadays usually containing 500 sheets.
  2. (chiefly in the plural) An abstract large amount of something.
    I can't go – I still have reams of work left.
Coordinate terms
Translations

See also

Anagrams


Friulian

Etymology

Probably from Latin regimen, regimine. Compare French royaume (Old French reaume, reiame), Occitan reialme, Romansh reginam.

Noun

ream

  1. kingdom

Latin

Noun

ream f

  1. accusative singular of rea

Middle English

Noun

ream

  1. Alternative form of rem

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *raumaz. Cognate with Middle Low German rōm, Middle Dutch room, Old High German roum (German Rahm), Old Norse rjúmi (Icelandic rjómi, Norwegian rømme).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ræːɑm/

Noun

rēam m

  1. cream

Descendants


Scots

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /rim/

Noun

ream (uncountable)

  1. (food): cream
  2. (ointment): cream
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