ream

English

Wikipedia

Pronunciation

• IPA: /riːm/

  Rhymes: -iːm

Etymology 1

From Middle English reme, rem, from Old English rēam (“cream”), from Proto-Germanic *raumaz (“cream”), from Proto-Indo-European *rewǝgh- (“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

• reem, raim

Noun

ream (plural reams)

1. (UK 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. (UK 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 *rūmijanan (“to make roomy, give room, remove”), from Proto-Indo-European *rowǝ- (“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

• reem, rim, rime

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

to enlarge a hole

• Russian: развёртывать (ru) (razvjórtyvatʼ) n, рассверливать (ru) (rassvérlivatʼ) n

• Swedish: brotscha (sv), upprymma (sv)

Etymology 3

From Middle English reeme, from Old French raime, rayme (“ream”) (French rame), from Arabic رزمة (rizma, “bundle”).

Alternative forms

• reme

Noun

ream (plural reams)

1. A bundle, package, or quantity of paper, usually containing 500 sheets.
2. An abstract large amount of something.

   I can't go - I still have reams of work left.

Translations

bundle of paper

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 令 (cmn) (lǐng)

• Dutch: riem (nl) m
• Finnish: riisi (fi)
• French: rame (fr) f
• Hungarian: rizsma (hu)

• Irish: réam (ga) m
• Italian: risma (it)
• Portuguese: resma (pt)
• Spanish: resma (es) f
• Swedish: ris (sv) n

Anagrams

• Amer., amer., Erma, mare

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Latin

Noun

ream f

1. accusative singular of rea

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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: /ræːɑm/

Noun

rēam m

1. cream

Descendants

• English: ream

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Scots

Pronunciation

• IPA: /rim/

Noun

ream (uncountable)

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