ram

[ ram ]

/ ræm /

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See synonyms for ram on Thesaurus.com

noun

a male sheep.

Aries, Astronomy, Astrology. the constellation or sign of Aries.

any of various devices for battering, crushing, driving, or forcing something, especially a battering ram.

(formerly) a heavy beak or spur projecting from the bow of a warship for penetrating the hull of an enemy's ship.

(formerly) a warship so equipped, especially one used primarily for ramming enemy vessels.

the heavy weight that strikes the blow in a pile driver or the like.

a piston, as on a hydraulic press.

a reciprocating part of certain machine tools, as the toolholder of a slotter or shaper.

hydraulic ram.

verb (used with object), rammed, ram·ming.

to drive or force by heavy blows.

to strike with great force; dash violently against: The car went out of control and rammed the truck.

to cram; stuff: They rammed the gag into his mouth.

to push firmly: to ram a bill through the Senate.

to force (a charge) into a firearm, as with a ramrod.

OTHER WORDS FOR ram

10 jam, thrust, beat, hammer.

See synonyms for ram on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

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whom

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Origin of ram

First recorded before 900; Middle English noun ram, ram(m)e “male sheep, machine for ramming,” Old English ramm, romm; cognate with Dutch, Low German ram, German Ramme; the verb is derivative of the noun

OTHER WORDS FROM ram

ramlike, adjectiveun·rammed, adjective

Words nearby ram

rallyist, rallymaster, rally round, ralph, Ralph Roister Doister, ram, Rama, Ramachandra, ramada, Ramadan, ramage

Other definitions for ram (2 of 5)

ram²

[ ram ]

/ ræm /

noun Australian, Now Rare.

a confidence man's associate who acts as a decoy; confederate; shill.

Origin of ram

First recorded in 1940–45; origin obscure; possibly from British criminal argot ramp “swindle”

Other definitions for ram (3 of 5)

RAM

[ ram ]

/ ræm /

noun

random-access memory; computer memory available to the user for creating, loading, or running programs and for the temporary storage and manipulation of data, in which time of access to each item is independent of the storage sequence. As a storage medium, RAM is volatile, so its contents are lost when the power fails or is turned off.

Compare ROM.

Origin of RAM

r(andom)-a(ccess)m(emory)

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH RAM

RAM , ROM

Other definitions for ram (4 of 5)

RAM

abbreviation

reverse annuity mortgage.

Other definitions for ram (5 of 5)

R.A.M.

abbreviation

Royal Academy of Music.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ram in a sentence

The laptop is slower, thicker, and heavier than last year's, with less storage, fewer cameras, and less RAM.
Samsung backtracks on $1,000 Chromebooks with cheaper Galaxy Chromebook 2|Ron Amadeo|January 7, 2021|Ars Technica
In most modern implementations, this means for every 64-bit word stored in RAM, there are eight checking bits.
Why don’t PCs use error correcting RAM? “Because Intel,” says Linus|Jim Salter|January 6, 2021|Ars Technica
The Pixelbook Go Chromebook can be upgraded with larger RAM and larger internal storage depending upon your needs.
Best Chromebooks: Five things to consider|Eric Alt|December 9, 2020|Popular-Science
Taylor was shot eight times in her home after three officers used a battering ram to enter it under the authority of a no-knock warrant.
The policing reforms in the Breonna Taylor settlement, explained|Fabiola Cineas|September 17, 2020|Vox

Android Central lists the OnePlus 8T with a 120Hz OLED panel, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage.
OnePlus 8T reportedly launches in October with 120Hz OLED, Snapdragon 865+|Ron Amadeo|September 4, 2020|Ars Technica
In 2012, A. Dilligaf, a Swiss resident who asked that I not use his real name, says he bid on a 2004 Dodge Ram.
He Bullies Kids and Calls It News|Brandy Zadrozny|June 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Where and when and why did Russ meet Ram Dass, for goodness sakes?
The Great Russ Hemenway|Michael Tomasky|March 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Los Angeles Times called him “the most valuable Ram of all time.”
The Deaths You Missed This Year|Malcolm Jones, Jimmy So, Michael Moynihan, Caitlin Dickson|December 30, 2013|DAILY BEAST
And then the ram is caught by its horns in the bush and is sacrificed instead.
The American Prophet of Delusion: Robert Stone in Conversation|David Samuels|November 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST
They wanted to ram that fact down the throat of would-be rivals, like the Russians, and even longtime friends, like the French.
How to Stop Iran: Obama's War By Other Means|Christopher Dickey|September 28, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Cleopatra's coffin, head of the Theban ram, and other Egyptian curiosities, arrived in England.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
It is the chief cereal, and the inhabitants say it originated in Ha-ram, China, nearly five thousand years ago.
Our Little Korean Cousin|H. Lee M. Pike
And he shall offer the sacrifice of an ephi for every calf, and an ephi for every ram: and a hin of oil for every ephi.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
And the sacrifice of all ephi for a ram: but for the lambs what sacrifice his hand shall allow: and a hin of oil for every ephi.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
When at close range, it pierced the "Cumberland" with its iron ram causing it to sink.
Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia|Dorothy M. Torpey

British Dictionary definitions for ram (1 of 5)

ram

/ (ræm) /

noun

an uncastrated adult sheep

a piston or moving plate, esp one driven hydraulically or pneumatically

the falling weight of a pile driver or similar device

short for battering ram

Also called: rostrum, beak a pointed projection in the stem of an ancient warship for puncturing the hull of enemy ships

a warship equipped with a ram

slang a sexually active man

verb rams, ramming or rammed

(tr usually foll by into) to force or drive, as by heavy blowsto ram a post into the ground

(of a moving object) to crash with force (against another object) or (of two moving objects) to collide in this waythe ships rammed the enemy

(tr ; often foll by in or down) to stuff or cram (something into a hole, etc)

(tr ; foll by onto, against etc) to thrust violentlyhe rammed the books onto the desk

(tr) to present (an idea, argument, etc) forcefully or aggressively (esp in the phrase ram (something) down someone's throat)

(tr) to drive (a charge) into a firearm

Derived forms of ram

rammer, noun

Word Origin for ram

Old English ramm; related to Old High German ram ram, Old Norse ramr fierce, rimma to fight

British Dictionary definitions for ram (2 of 5)

Ram

/ (ræm) /

noun

the Ram the constellation Aries, the first sign of the zodiac

British Dictionary definitions for ram (3 of 5)

RAM¹

/ (ræm) /

n acronym for computing

random access memory: semiconductor memory in which all storage locations can be rapidly accessed in the same amount of time. It forms the main memory of a computer, used by applications to perform tasks while the device is operating

British Dictionary definitions for ram (4 of 5)

RAM²

abbreviation for

Royal Academy of Music

British Dictionary definitions for ram (5 of 5)

r.a.m.

abbreviation for

relative atomic mass

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

Scientific definitions for ram

RAM

[ răm ]

Short for random access memory. The main memory of a computer, in which data can be stored or retrieved from all locations at the same (usually very high) speed. See also dynamic RAM static RAM.

Cultural definitions for ram

RAM

Acronym for random access memory, which is a type of memory in which a reader can go to a specific item without having to start at the beginning. Random access memories can often be altered once an item is found. (See computer memory and magnetic memory storage; compare ROM.)

notes for RAM

hard drives on a computer are an example of RAM.

ram

OTHER WORDS FOR ram

Origin of ram

OTHER WORDS FROM ram

Words nearby ram

Other definitions for ram (2 of 5)

Origin of ram

Other definitions for ram (3 of 5)

Origin of RAM

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH RAM

Other definitions for ram (4 of 5)

Other definitions for ram (5 of 5)

Words related to ram

How to use ram in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ram (1 of 5)

Derived forms of ram

Word Origin for ram

British Dictionary definitions for ram (2 of 5)

British Dictionary definitions for ram (3 of 5)

British Dictionary definitions for ram (4 of 5)

British Dictionary definitions for ram (5 of 5)

Scientific definitions for ram

Cultural definitions for ram

notes for RAM