bream

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noun \ ˈbrim , ˈbrēm \

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

Meanwhile, golden topminnows and killifish shelter in the shadows hoping to avoid bass and bream lurking in the underwater forest created by the tall stalks and flower stems.

— ben raines | braines@al.com, AL.com, "Stranded in the Delta with nothing but time and a camera," 30 Aug. 2017
We feast on local grouper, stone fish and sea bream, offered whole and split among the diners.

— roy harris, chicagotribune.com, "Malta, the island nation just below Sicily, is an increasingly popular stopover," 28 Aug. 2017
For those opposed to large primal cuts of cow, consider the sea bream, which is cleverly deboned yet served whole with charred halves of lemon and orange that beg to be given a liberal squeeze.

— garrett snyder, Los Angeles Magazine, "The Los Angeles Magazine Hot Restaurant List for July 2017," 18 July 2017
Lunch began with marinated sea bream, laid delicately into a glass bowl atop ribbons of zucchini.

— allie malloy, CNN, "Presidential dining delights in the City of Light," 13 July 2017
A special prix-fixe menu will be available from July 17 to July 22 with favorites such as beef tartare, Sea bream bouillabaisse and vanilla creme brulee.

— lauren delgado, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Foxtail Coffee starting barista service in DoveCote July 21," 13 July 2017
Currently available menus propose blue lobster with tomatoes and black olives, sea bream and free-range fowl with chickpeas and sorrel.

— peter mikelbank, PEOPLE.com, "Trump Table of Four: President Trump to Dine At Eiffel Tower’s Le Jules Verne with French President and Wives," 12 July 2017
Aggressive Rio Grande cichlids have taken over many local waterways, muscling out bream and crappie.

— todd masson, NOLA.com, "Amazon fish caught in Atchafalaya River," 11 July 2017
Fishermen catch bass, bream, and catfish as a rule.

— lindsay bierman, Southern Living, "The New Must-Have Coffee Table Book: New Roads and Old Rivers," 11 July 2017

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

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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

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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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bream

Definition of bream

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Origin and Etymology of bream

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bream

Definition of bream

Origin and Etymology of bream

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BREAM Defined for English Language Learners

bream

Definition of bream for English Language Learners

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