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bream

1 American  
[brim, breem] / brɪm, brim /

noun

plural

bream,

plural

breams

  1. any of various freshwater fishes of the genus Abramis, as A. brama, of Europe, with a compressed, deep body and silvery scales.

  2. any of various related and similar fishes.

  3. any of several porgies, as the sea bream, Archosargus rhomboidalis.

  4. any of several freshwater sunfishes of the genus Lepomis.

bream 2 American  
[breem] / brim /

verb (used with object)

Nautical.

  1. to clean (a ship's bottom) by applying burning furze, reeds, etc., to soften the pitch and loosen adherent matter.

Bream 3 American  
[breem] / brim /

noun

  1. Julian (Alexander), 1933–2020, English guitarist and lutenist.

bream 1 British  
/ brɪm, briːm, brɪm /

noun

  1. any of several Eurasian freshwater cyprinid fishes of the genus Abramis , esp A. brama , having a deep compressed body covered with silvery scales

  2. a similar cyprinid, Blicca bjoerkna

  3. short for sea bream

  4. any of various marine fishes

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Bream 2 British  
/ briːm /

noun

  1. Julian ( Alexander ). born 1933, English guitarist and lutenist

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
bream 3 British  
/ briːm /

verb

  1. nautical (formerly) to clean debris from (the bottom of a vessel) by heating to soften the pitch

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of bream1

1350–1400; Middle English breme < Anglo-French; Old French bresme, braisme < Old Low Franconian *brahsima; compare Old High German brahsema, Dutch brasem

Origin of bream2

1620–30; < Middle Dutch brem ( e ) furze

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He then held up a large sea bream as a symbol of good luck and celebration.

From Barron's • Nov. 26, 2025

The sea bass and bream are always tasty.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025

The main course, a whole fried sea bream, served with a ginger fish sauce caramel, peanuts, herbs, lemon, and wild pepper leaves to delicately wrap each fried morsel, truly blew me away.

From Salon • Sep. 3, 2025

He and his father have also started constructing a sprawling nylon net this year to keep the growing population of sea bream at bay.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 23, 2023

Guests could catch bream or tiger fish for dinner, if they liked.

From "The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm" by Nancy Farmer

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.