ream
pronunciation
How to pronounce ream in British English:
UK [riːm]
How to pronounce ream in American English:
US [ riːm]
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- Noun:
- a large quantity of written matter
- a quantity of paper; 480 or 500 sheets; one ream equals 20 quires
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- Verb:
- squeeze the juice out (of a fruit) with a reamer
- remove by making a hole with a reamer
- enlarge with a reamer
Word Origin
- ream
- ream: English has two distinct words ream. The one denoting an amount of paper [14] comes via Old French remme from Arabic risma ‘bundle’, a derivative of the verb rasama ‘collect into a bundle’. Ream ‘make or enlarge a hole’ [19] may be the same word as Middle English reme ‘open up, make room’, which goes back to Old English ryman ‘widen’, a derivative of the same base as English room.=> room
- ream (n.1)
- measure of paper, mid-14c., from Old French reyme, from Spanish resma, from Arabic rizmah "bundle" (of paper), from rasama "collect into a bundle." The Moors brought manufacture of cotton paper to Spain. Early variant rym (late 15c.) suggests a Dutch influence (compare Dutch riem), probably borrowed from Spanish during the time of Hapsburg control of Holland. For ordinary writing paper, 20 quires of 24 sheets each, or 480 sheets; often 500 or more to allow for waste; slightly different numbers for drawing or printing paper.
- ream (v.)
- "to enlarge a hole," 1815, probably a southwest England dialectal survival from Middle English reme "to make room, open up," from Old English ryman "widen, extend, enlarge," from Proto-Germanic *rumijan (cognates: Old Saxon rumian, Old Norse ryma, Old Frisian rema, Old High German rumen "to make room, widen"), from *rumaz "spacious" (see room (n.)). Slang meaning "to cheat, swindle" first recorded 1914; anal sex sense is from 1942. To ream (someone) out "scold, reprimand" is recorded from 1950.
- ream (n.2)
- "cream" (obsolete), Old English ream, from Proto-Germanic *raumoz (cognates: Middle Dutch and Dutch room, German Rahm), of uncertain origin.
Example
- 1. I really think you 'd do well to join the ream .
- 2. I bought a ream of paper and tried to write .
- 3. Regulate the allergy , flush , have fever the phenomenon , ream cell rebirth reorganization .
- 4. Ream will come true someday .
- 5. Don 't ream the hole too fast .