bream

noun \ ˈbrim , ˈbrēm \

Updated on: 17 Apr 2018

Definition of bream

plural bream or breams

1 : a bronze-colored European freshwater cyprinid fish (Abramis brama); broadly : any of various related fishes

2 a : any of various marine fish (family Sparidae) related to the porgy — called also sea bream

b : any of various freshwater sunfishes (Lepomis and related genera); especially : bluegill

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Recent Examples of bream from the Web

Flyfishing enthusiasts will love the rolling rivers and numerous lakes and ponds stocked with largemouth bass and bream.

— Smithsonian, "Discover Palmetto Bluff’s great outdoors," 1 Apr. 2018
The reservoir is formed by Walter F. George Dam and is known for its great fishing for largemouth bass, crappie, bream and catfish.

— joe songer, AL.com, "Over 85 amazing wildlife photos captured on trail/game cameras by our readers," 8 Feb. 2018
After a minute marked by tense silence, two breams emerged from the hole.

— taylor weidman, National Geographic, "Once Written Off for Dead, the Aral Sea Is Now Full of Life," 16 Mar. 2018
The reservoir is formed by Walter F. George Dam and is known for its great fishing for largemouth bass, crappie, bream and catfish.

— joe songer, AL.com, "Over 85 amazing wildlife photos captured on trail/game cameras by our readers," 8 Feb. 2018
By 2016, 7,106 tons of fish was caught, with bream being the most common, followed by roach and the sought-after pike-perch.

— taylor weidman, National Geographic, "Once Written Off for Dead, the Aral Sea Is Now Full of Life," 16 Mar. 2018
The reservoir is formed by Walter F. George Dam and is known for its great fishing for largemouth bass, crappie, bream and catfish.

— joe songer, AL.com, "Over 85 amazing wildlife photos captured on trail/game cameras by our readers," 8 Feb. 2018
Swimming at state this weekend will be the Tomball girls 200-yard freestyle and Ollie bream in the 200 /500 swim.

— alvaro montano, Houston Chronicle, "Freshman Ollie Bream leads Tomball state qualifiers; Tomball Memorial sends first diver, Anna Litton, to state," 13 Feb. 2018
The reservoir is formed by Walter F. George Dam and is known for its great fishing for largemouth bass, crappie, bream and catfish.

— joe songer, AL.com, "Over 85 amazing wildlife photos captured on trail/game cameras by our readers," 8 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bream.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of bream

Middle English breme, from Anglo-French, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German brahsima bream, Middle High German brehen to shine

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First Known Use: 14th century

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Other Fishes Terms

char, chum, ichthyology, smelt, tetra, turbot

bream

verb \ ˈbrēm \

Definition of bream

transitive verb

: to clean (a ship's bottom) by heating and scraping

Origin and Etymology of bream

probably from Dutch brem furze; from the use of burning furze in the cleaning

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1626

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Other Nautical Terms

avast, aweigh, flotsam, jib, keel, lee, port, starboard, stay

BREAM Defined for English Language Learners

bream

noun

Definition of bream for English Language Learners

: a kind of fish that people catch for food

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See words that rhyme with bream Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bream

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