bream¹

[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.

Origin

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

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

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

Bream

[breem] /brim/

noun

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

British Dictionary definitions for bream

bream¹

/briːm; Austral brɪm/

noun (pl) bream, 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, silver bream, a similar cyprinid, Blicca bjoerkna

short for sea bream

(Austral) any of various marine fishes

Word Origin

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

bream²

/briːm/

verb

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

Word Origin

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

Bream

/briːm/

noun

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

Word Origin and History for bream

freshwater fish, late 14c., from Old French braisme "bream," from Frankish *brahsima, from West Germanic *brahsm- (cf. Old High German brahsima), perhaps from Proto-Germanic base *brehwan "to shine, glitter, sparkle," from PIE *bherek- (see braid (v.)).