bream
bream Lexical Profile
bream Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A European freshwater fish of the carp family, characterized by its deep, laterally compressed body and silvery scales.
"The angler cast his line into the slow-moving river, hoping to catch a large bream."
Any of various marine fishes of the family Sparidae, commonly known as sea breams, prized for their delicate white flesh.
"We ordered the baked sea bream with lemon and herbs at the coastal seafood restaurant."
North American Any of several freshwater sunfishes of the family Centrarchidae, widely distributed in North American lakes and rivers.
"During summer afternoons, the children fished for bream from the edge of the wooden dock."
• verb
To clean the bottom of a wooden ship by applying fire to soften and remove pitch, seaweed, and marine growth before scraping.
"The crew had to careen the galleon and bream its hull to restore the vessel's speed through the water."
• Rhymes for bream
Word Origin & Etymology
The noun originates from Middle English 'breme', via Old French 'bresme', tracing back to a Germanic root. The nautical verb likely derives from a variant of 'broom', referring to the sweeping and cleaning of a ship's hull.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.