What does "ram" mean?
Acronym of random-access memory.
Ram
/ɹæm/ adj, name, noun, verb, slang
adj, name, noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Acronym of random-access memory.
- Grammar: ram is listed as adj, name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: tup, aries, assault, atlas.
- Useful contrasts: ROM, avoid, empty.
- Usage evidence: The police used a battering ram to break down the door.
How to use "ram"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "ram" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "ram" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "ram" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "ram" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "ram" is acting as adj, name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "tup" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "ram", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Acronym of random-access memory. abbreviation, acronym, alt-of
"Looking for the best RAM for your PC in 2023 has gotten a little bit more complicated than before. With the advent of DDR5, you can now choose between a newer standard, and an older one. DDR4 has a differently keyed connector, and you’re also going to have to check that the RAM is compatible with your CPU in the first place. So, what should you buy?"
- 2 A male sheep, typically uncastrated.
- 3 A US Korean War anti-tank weapon.
- 4 uncastrated adult male sheep wordnet
- 5 Acronym of random-access machine. abbreviation, acronym, alt-of
Show 13 more definitions
- 6 A battering ram; a heavy object used for breaking through doors.
- 7 a tool for driving or forcing something by impact wordnet
- 8 Acronym of relative atomic mass; sometimes styled r.a.m.. abbreviation, acronym, alt-of, physical
- 9 A warship intended to sink other ships by ramming them. historical
"About a couple of miles out lay an ironclad very low in the water, almost, to my brother's perception, like a water-logged ship. This was the ram Thunder Child."
- 10 the most common computer memory which can be used by programs to perform necessary tasks while the computer is on; an integrated circuit memory chip allows information to be stored or accessed in any order and all storage locations are equally accessible wordnet
- 11 Acronym of responsibility assignment matrix. abbreviation, acronym, alt-of
- 12 A reinforced section of the bow of a warship, intended to be used for ramming other ships. historical
- 13 (astrology) a person who is born while the sun is in Aries wordnet
- 14 Acronym of reliability availability maintainability. abbreviation, acronym, alt-of
- 15 A piston powered by hydraulic pressure.
- 16 Acronym of radar-absorbent material, a material which absorbs radar. abbreviation, acronym, alt-of
- 17 An act of ramming.
- 18 A weight which strikes a blow, in a ramming device such as a pile driver, steam hammer, or stamp mill.
"He describes the operation thus: "The heavy ram employed to impart the finishing strokes, hoisted up with double purchase and snail's pace to the summit of the Piling Engine, and then falling down like a thunderbolt on the head of the devoted timber, driving it perhaps a single half inch in to the stratum below, is well calculated to put to the test the virtue of patience, while it illustrates the old adage of—slow and sure.""
Verb
- 1 To collide with (an object), usually with the intention of damaging it or disabling its function. ambitransitive
"The man, driving an SUV, then rammed the gate, according to police."
- 2 force into or from an action or state, either physically or metaphorically wordnet
- 3 To strike (something) hard, especially with an implement. transitive
"To build a sturdy fence, you have to ram the posts deep into the ground."
- 4 crowd or pack to capacity wordnet
- 5 To seat a cartridge, projectile, or propellant charge in the breech of a firearm by pushing or striking. transitive
"After placing the cartridge in the musket, ram it down securely with the ramrod."
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 undergo damage or destruction on impact wordnet
- 7 To force, cram or thrust (someone or something) into or through something. also, figuratively, transitive
"I quickly rammed another charge down the barrel and took aim."
- 8 strike or drive against with a heavy impact wordnet
- 9 To fill or compact by pounding or driving. transitive
"They rammed the earth walls to make them more compact"
- 10 To thrust during sexual intercourse. slang
"1999, Mr.Web, Size Matters review by mr. web review Group: rec.arts.movies.erotica like feel a soft butt against their pelvis or ram a girl really hard with piston-like speed while she begs and screams for more"
Adjective
- 1 Rancid; offensive in smell or taste. Northern-England
Proper Noun
- 1 Initialism of Royal Academy of Music. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
- 2 The constellation and zodiac sign Aries.
"Aries, or the Ram governeth the head."
- 3 The father of Amminadab and the son of Hezron.
- 4 Alternative form of Rāma (“an incarnation of the god Vishnu in Hinduism”). alt-of, alternative
- 5 Initialism of Rise Above Movement. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 Someone connected with Derby County Football Club, as a fan, player, coach etc. UK
- 7 A male given name.
- 8 A surname
- 9 One of the two progenitors of the second generation of humans in Mandaeism.
Example
"The police used a battering ram to break down the door."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "ram"?
Common synonyms include: tup, aries, assault, atlas, barge, batter.
How do you use "ram" in a sentence?
The police used a battering ram to break down the door.
How do you pronounce "ram"?
Pronounced /ɹæm/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English ram, rom, ramme, from Old English ramm (“ram”), from Proto-Germanic *rammaz (“ram”), possibly from *rammaz (“strong”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Rom (“ram”), Dutch ram (“a male sheep”), German Ramm, Ramme (“ram”). Possibly akin also to Danish ram (“sharp; acrid; rank”), Swedish ram (“strong; perfect”), Faroese ramur (“strong; competent”), Icelandic rammur (“strong; sturdy”).
Etymology 2
From Middle English rammen, from the noun (see above). Compare Old High German rammen.
Etymology 3
Likely from Old Norse ramr, rammr (“strong, rank, bitter”), from Proto-Germanic *rammaz (“strong, overbearing; acrid, rank”), perhaps ultimately related to Etymology 1 above. Compare Scots ram (“a rank odour”). Compare also Middle English rammish (“rank, offensive in smell”).
Etymology 4
From ram, the animal the constellation is figured as. Football sense, the animal of the mascot for the sports team.
Etymology 5
From Hebrew רָם (ram).
Etymology 6
From ram (“strike forcefully”).