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Ream

//ɹiːm// name, noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A surname.
Noun
  1. 1
    Cream; also, the creamlike froth on ale or other liquor; froth or foam in general. Northern-England, Scotland, UK, dialectal
  2. 2
    A bundle, package, or quantity of paper, nowadays usually containing 500 sheets.
  3. 3
    a quantity of paper; 480 or 500 sheets; one ream equals 20 quires wordnet
  4. 4
    An abstract large amount of something. in-plural

    "I can't go – I still have reams of work left."

  5. 5
    a large quantity of written matter wordnet
Verb
  1. 1
    To cream; mantle; foam; froth. Northern-England, Scotland, UK, dialectal

    "a huge pewter measuring pot […] which, in the language of the hostess, reamed with excellent claret"

  2. 2
    To enlarge (a hole), especially using a reamer; to bore (a hole) wider. transitive
  3. 3
    enlarge with a reamer wordnet
  4. 4
    To remove (material) by reaming. transitive
  5. 5
    remove by making a hole or by boring wordnet
Show 5 more definitions
  1. 6
    To remove burrs and debris from inside (something, such as a freshly bored hole) using a tool. transitive
  2. 7
    squeeze the juice out (of a fruit) with a reamer wordnet
  3. 8
    To shape or form, especially using a reamer.
  4. 9
    To sexually penetrate in a rough and painful way. broadly, slang, vulgar
  5. 10
    To yell at or berate. slang

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English reme, rem, from Old English rēam (“cream”), from Proto-West Germanic *raum, from Proto-Germanic *raumaz (“cream”), from Proto-Indo-European *réwgʰmn̥ (“to sour [milk]”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Room (“cream”), West Frisian rjemme (“cream”), Dutch room (“cream”), German Low German Rahm, Rohm (“cream”), German Rahm (“cream”), Swedish römme (“cream”), Norwegian rømme (“sour cream”), Faroese rómi (“cream”), Icelandic rjómi (“cream”). See also ramekin.

Etymology 2

From Middle English reme, rem, from Old English rēam (“cream”), from Proto-West Germanic *raum, from Proto-Germanic *raumaz (“cream”), from Proto-Indo-European *réwgʰmn̥ (“to sour [milk]”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Room (“cream”), West Frisian rjemme (“cream”), Dutch room (“cream”), German Low German Rahm, Rohm (“cream”), German Rahm (“cream”), Swedish römme (“cream”), Norwegian rømme (“sour cream”), Faroese rómi (“cream”), Icelandic rjómi (“cream”). See also ramekin.

Etymology 3

Etymology uncertain, possibly a variant of rime (etymology 4). Doublet of room. Cognates * Dutch ruimen (“to empty, evacuate”) * German räumen (“to make room”) * Icelandic rýma (“to make room, clear”).

Etymology 4

From Middle English reme, from Old French raime, rayme (“ream”) (French rame), from Catalan raima (“ream”), from Arabic رِزْمَة (rizma, “bundle”).

Etymology 5

From the German surname, Anglicized from Riehm, Röhm, Roehm.

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