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bream

1
[ brim, breem ]
/ brɪm, brim /

noun, plural (especially collectively) bream, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) breams.

any of various freshwater fishes of the genus Abramis, as A. brama, of Europe, with a compressed, deep body and silvery scales.
any of various related and similar fishes.
any of several porgies, as the sea bream, Archosargus rhomboidalis.
any of several freshwater sunfishes of the genus Lepomis.

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Origin of bream

1
1350–1400; Middle English breme<Anglo-French; Old French bresme, braisme<Old Low Franconian *brahsima; compare Old High German brahsema,Dutch brasem

Words nearby bream

break-up value, breakwater, breakweather, break wind, break with, bream, breast, breast beam, breast-beating, breastbone, breast drill

Definition for bream (2 of 3)

bream2
[ breem ]
/ brim /

verb (used with object) Nautical.

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

Origin of bream

2
1620–30; <Middle Dutch brem(e) furze

Definition for bream (3 of 3)

Bream
[ breem ]
/ brim /

noun

Julian (Alexander), born 1933, English guitarist and lutenist.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for bream

British Dictionary definitions for bream (1 of 3)

bream1

Australian brim (brɪm)

/ (briːm, Austral brɪm) /

noun plural bream or brim

any of several Eurasian freshwater cyprinid fishes of the genus Abramis, esp A. brama, having a deep compressed body covered with silvery scales
white bream or silver bream a similar cyprinid, Blicca bjoerkna
short for sea bream
Australian any of various marine fishes

Word Origin for bream

C14: from Old French bresme, of Germanic origin; compare Old High German brahsema; perhaps related to brehan to glitter

British Dictionary definitions for bream (2 of 3)

bream2
/ (briːm) /

verb

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

Word Origin for bream

C15: probably from Middle Dutch bremme broom; from using burning broom as a source of heat

British Dictionary definitions for bream (3 of 3)

Bream
/ (briːm) /

noun

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