Definition of bream
bream
orbreams
1 : a bronze-colored European freshwater cyprinid fish (Abramis brama); broadly : any of various related fishes
2a : any of various marine fish (family Sparidae) related to the porgy —called also sea breamb : any of various freshwater sunfishes (Lepomis and related genera); especially : bluegill
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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
First Known Use: 14th century
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
First Known Use: 1626
BREAM Defined for English Language Learners
bream
playDefinition of bream for English Language Learners
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: a kind of fish that people catch for food
Learn More about bream
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See words that rhyme with bream Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bream
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